Pokémon Platinum: Chris' Journey
by madgamer326
Summary: One day, Chris and Barry, best friends from Twinleaf Town, meet Professor Rowan and his new assistant, Dawn, and get their first pokémon. Chris, Barry, and Dawn go on an unforgettable journey throughout the Sinnoh Region. Rated M for Language, Violence, Blood, and Sexual Themes.
1. Chapter 1

Chapter 1: The Journey Begins

I wake up to the sound of the alarm clock. I yawn as I turn it off. I smile and look at the Pokémon License lying on the table. I pick it up and put it in my backpack. I open my closet and grab my clothes and throw them on. I slide the backpack's straps around my shoulders and stretch. I run downstairs to see my mom watching TV. "Oh, Chris. Are you going somewhere?" she asks.

"I'm going to meet Barry."

She thinks. "Alright, but remember…"

"Don't go in the tall grass," we both say.

I nod and step outside into the sunlight. I see pokémon of all different types with, or without, trainers strolling around. I see my best friend Barry running towards his house. He waves as he passes by. I wave back as he runs into his door. He rubs his head and opens it. I chuckle. I knock on his door. "Who is it?" Barry's mother asks.

"It's Chris."

"Oh, come in!"

I open the door and walk into the house. "Barry went upstairs to grab some things. Why don't you go check on him?"

I walk upstairs into Barry's room. He's going through his desk and talking to himself. "Chris! Meet me on Route 201. If you don't get there in time, you owe me 1 million pokédollars!"

He pushes past me and runs outside. I chase after him and wave goodbye to his mom. I run as fast as I can to Route 201, but stop, exhausted. I look up and see Barry. "Too slow!"

He puts his arm out to show that he wants me to pay him. I chuckle. "As if I have that much pokédollars."

He sighs. "Well, you can always pay later."

I hear rustling grass. Barry turns around and walks to the tall grass. "I wonder what that was."

He looks back. "You wanna find out?"

I shrug. "I don't know Barry. We don't even have a pokémon to defend ourselves let alone a pokéball to catch one."

He chuckles. "You're such a party pooper. I mean we both have our Pokémon Licenses. How much harm could we cause by walking into some grass."

I think. "What if it's a Scyther?"

I laughs. "Trust me. There are no Scythers around here."

He inches closer to the grass. I sigh. "Alright, but if we're caught, don't expect me to explain why we did it."

Barry smiles and gets ready to run. "Okay."

He stands next to me. "One, two, three!"

We take off. We are almost in the grass when, "What is going on with kids nowadays?"

We both freeze and turn around. It's an old man, but he seems familiar. He steps forward. "Tell me, why would you just decide to run into tall grass without pokémon to help you?"

I look at Barry. "I was just tired of not being able to leave Twinleaf Town. We're both 14 and we haven't left town. I want to see the world and experience everything there is to do in Sinnoh. Contests, Gyms, the Pokémon League. I want to be the Champion," Barry says.

My mouth opens a little at my shock. I've never seen Barry so serious before about anything. He sounds like he's denouncing everyone who thinks there's nothing in the world. I know that one day I hoped to go on a journey. I smile. "I agree with Barry. I want to experience Sinnoh as well."

I look closely at the old man and gasp. "I know you!"

He smiles. "I hoped you would figure it out eventually. It is me, Professor Rowan, the Sinnoh region's Pokémon Professor."

Barry and I light up. "I want you two to listen very closely. I want you to go to Sandgem Town after we talk. Be sure to tell your parents before you leave."

I nod. The professor turns around. "Dawn, bring me my briefcase!"

A girl comes running to Rowan with a brief case. She has shiny, black hair and is wear a red coat with four large, pink buttons, a white beanie with an image of a pink pokéball on it, and large, pink boots. She has a white bag around her right shoulder. She catches her breath as she hands the briefcase over. She looks at us and looks back at the professor. "Are you sure you want to give these pokémon away? They are very rare."

"I'm very sure Dawn."

Rowan turns to us. "Now, in these pokéballs are three different pokémon. "One is Piplup, one is Chimchar, and one is Turtwig."

Barry looks at me. "You can pick first, Chris."

I look at the three pokeballs. I think about what they can each do. Piplup is water type, Chimchar is a fire type, and Turtwig is a grass type. If I'm going to be a trainer, I'm going to try to get to the pokémon league. The closest gym is in Oreburgh City. It's a rock type gym, so I'm not picking Chimchar. I reach for a pokéball and throw it into the air. The pokéball opens and a white light forms into the shape of a small bird. Piplup opens it's eyes and looks around. "Piplup?" it asks in a questioning tone.

I look at Piplup and wave. "Hi, Piplup. I'm going to be your new trainer."

It cocks its head to the side and looks me in the eyes. After a couple minutes, Piplup smiles and runs to me. It jumps into my arms. "Piplup!" it says happily.

Rowan smiles. "Your Piplup is a female. It knows Pound and Growl at the moment, but she will learn as time goes on."

I look at Piplup and smile. "Alright Piplup, we're going to be best friends."

I see Dawn and Barry smiling at us. "There's always something about people and pokémon becoming friends that moves others," Rowan says.

I look at Barry as I set Piplup down. "Which one are you picking Barry?"

He smiles. "Since you chose water, I'm going to choose grass."

He grabs Turtwig's pokeball and throws it into the air. The light from the pokéball forms into Turtwig. Turtwig looks at Barry and smiles as Barry greets himself. Turtwig runs around Barry excitedly. I smile. "A match made in heaven. An energetic pokémon for an energetic person."

He sends Turtwig back into his pokéball. I look at Piplup and pick it up. I open the main part of my backpack and sent Piplup in there. Piplup exclaims happily. I wave to the professor and Dawn. "See you in Sandgem Town."

Barry takes off to his house, eager to start his journey. I walk back to my house as kids play in the plaza. I see my mom look at me when the door opens. I take off my backpack and set it down. Before we came in, I told Piplup to hide so we could mess with Mom. Mom smiles as I walk over to her. "You'll never guess what happened just now."

She seems eager to know. "What happened?"

"Barry and I saw Professor Rowan!"

My mom gasps. "Wow! What an honor. Did you talk to him?"  
"He was the one who talked to us."

Her eyes widen. "Wow."

I smile. "He even gave us something."

"What did he give you?"

Piplup jumps out of the bag. "Pip Piplup!"

My mom jumps back, startled, as Piplup lands. She starts laughing when she notices. "Wow. You really scared me."

She steps to Piplup and picks her up. "She's so cute!"

I smile. "I know, right? Barry picked Turtwig."

Mom hands Piplup to me, who I set down. "The professor said to go to Sandgem Town to his lab."

Mom smiles. "I knew this day would come eventually."

She walks to the kitchen and comes back with a camping set and supplies for a long trip. She puts the food into my bag and lies the camping equipment into the main compartment. I'm amazed it fit in the bag. Mom hugs me and Piplup. "I hope you have a great time on your journey. Don't forget to call me at the Pokémon Centers, alright."

I nod. "Got it."

"Goodbye. Hope to see you soon."

I hug Mom and put on my backpack, which Piplup crawls into. I wave to her as I walk out the door. "Goodbye, Mom." "Piplup Pip!"

Mom waves back as a tear rolls down her cheek. I see Barry waiting for me on Route 201. I look at Twinleaf Town and take a deep breath. I look at Piplup who smiles. I run to Barry, ready for our journey.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2: Sandgem Town

I look at the sky as Barry and I walk to Sandgem. The sun's going down and Barry's seems tired. I yawn, accidentally waking up Piplup. "Pip!"

"Sorry, Piplup."

I look at Barry. "Now seems like a good time to set up camp," I say.

"But we're a third of the way there."

"We've been walking all day. Piplup and I are tired."

Barry yawns. "Alright. I suppose you're right."

He lets out Turtwig and we start to get out our sleeping bags. I see some other trainers nearby with tents up. Some are walking this way. A boy about my age walks up to me. "Hey. Do you want to battle before going to bed?"

"I don't know. I don't have anything to heal Piplup with."

"Wait, you have a Piplup? That's awesome! Where did you catch it?"

I shrug. "That's a question you should ask Professor Rowan. He's the one who gave her to me."

"You've met Rowan?"

"Yeah. About the battle?"

"Oh, okay. I have Potions to heal our pokémon with."

I nod. "Alright."

I look at Piplup. "You want to have a quick battle Piplup?"

Piplup looks up and shakes her head. She yawns and lays back in her sleeping bag. I bought the sleeping bag from someone who was selling them to new trainers. It's extendable for pokémon who evolve into larger forms. "How about in the morning?" I ask the trainer.

"Alright."

Piplup lays down and quickly falls asleep. I lay down and eat a quick snack Mom packed in my bag. There's food for me and food for Piplup, but it'll last us about a week with only one pokémon on my team. I'll worry about it later. I put the wrapper in my backpack and lay down. I look into the night sky and look for constellations. I see one in the shape of a Pikachu. It's the one everyone notices, but I can find a harder one if I try. I find a star cluster and connect it with others to form one of the legendary pokémon of the region. I can't remember it's name, but the legend goes that it was banished from this world by Arceus and was sent to a mirror of this world known as the Distortion World. I lay my head back. I smile as I slowly fall asleep. I dream about what my journey will be like.

I wake up to the sound of a crinkling wrapper. I sit up and wipe the sleep out of my eyes. I look at my backpack and see it rustling. "Piplup? Are you hungry?"

"Pip?" I hear behind me.

Piplup is waking up. I look at my bag and pull the side of it down. I see a Starly holding a chocolate bar in it's beak. I growl. "Piplup, use Pound."

Piplup jumps over me and hits the Starly on the head. Starly drops the chocolate and flies up. It looks at Piplup and flies straight at her. "Dodge."

Piplup jumps to the left. Starly lands and runs at Piplup. "Growl."

Piplup says her name loudly and Pidgey loses its concentration. "Pound."

Piplup hits the Starly causing its movements to slow. Starly seems tired. I sits on the ground. I look at it. "Are you hungry?"

"Starly…" it says, nodding.

I look at Piplup, who goes to get some pokémon food. I look at Starly. "I'm sorry, but I'll get some food for you."

Starly jumps up and hops around excitedly. I hold out my arm and let it roost there. Piplup pushes out a small bowl and I grab the food. I open the box and pour the food in. Starly looks at the food, then at me before starting eat. Piplup also eats. I look at Barry, who is starting to wake up. He stands up and yawns. Turtwig is still sleeping. I stand up and grab some clothes. I walk behind some trees and change. When I walk out, the two pokémon are looking at the bowl with only one piece of food left. Piplup picks it up, but hands it to Starly. I smile and put the bowl away. Starly looks at me and flies onto my shoulder. I look at him. "Starly. Star star."

"Do you want to join me?"

"Star!" he says, nodding.

I sigh. "Sorry, but I don't have any pokéballs. You can stay with me until I get some, though."

He nods. Piplup tugs on my jeans. I look down and watch her. She opens her mouth and launches bubbles into the air. I smile. "You learned Bubble."

Piplup seems proud of herself. I smile as Starly starts flying in the air around me. I pick up my backpack and put it on. Barry looks over at me and gasps. "A Starly?"

"Yeah. It's staying with me until I can catch it."

"Cool."

The trainer from last night walks over. "Ready?"

I nod. "Ready."

Me and the trainer, Michael, send out our first pokémon. "Go, Bidoof!"

I look at Starly. "Go, Starly."

Starly flies to the battlefield. He gets ready for the battle. "I'll let you go first," Mike says.

I nod. "Starly, use Tackle."

"Bidoof, dodge it."

The Bidoof gets ready to jump, but Starly is too fast and rams Bidoof. Bidoof rolls towards his trainer, but shakes off the attack. Starly backs up. "Bidoof, use Growl."

Bidoof growls, causing Starly to be startled. "Starly, use Leer."

Starly looks at the Bidoof menacingly. It renders the Growl useless. "Tackle, Starly."

Starly dashes toward and tackles Bidoof, sending it flying out of our arena. Bidoof gets up, but immediately falls back down, fainting. Starly relaxes now that Bidoof has been defeated. "You did great Bidoof. Return."

He brings Bidoof back into the pokéball. I smile as Starly returns to me, landing on my shoulder. I walk to Mike and hold out my hand. He shakes my hand. "Thanks for a great battle," I say.

"No problem."

He hands me a few Potions. "No need, really."

"Take 'em. You might need them later."

I take the Potions and put them in my bag. I walk away from Mike and join Barry up ahead.

[An Hour Later]

I see a sign up ahead. I read it. "Sandgem Town."  
I look at Barry. "We're here."

He smiles and runs into the town. We high five. I hear Piplup cheering in my backpack. Starly is flying between us as we approach a building that says, 'Pokémon Lab.'

Barry opens the door and we all go inside. Starly lands on my shoulder again. We walk to the back of the lab, where I see Dawn talking to the professor. I clear my throat, signaling Rowan. He turns towards us when Dawn is finished. "Ah, you're here. Just in time, too."

He sees Starly on my arm. "I see you made a new friend."

Piplup peeks out of my backpack. "Do you have a pokéball I can use?"

Rowan smiles and hands me one. I hold it up for Starly, who pecks the button. I capture him instantly. I immediately let him out for Rowan. Rowan smiles and holds out two devices. "These are Pokédexes. They are an encyclopedia on all pokémon in the world. Hold it up and press the button on the side to scan a pokémon. It will tell you information on its species and other useful tips for raising it."

He clears his throat. "You may do whatever you like in the Sinnoh region, challenge gyms, become the Champion, enter Contests. I hope you can enjoy everything you do. Please notify me so I can see how many pokémon you have caught. Be sure to show me when the pokémon you have evolve, as I am researching pokémon evolution. I hope you have fun exploring. He gives Barry five pokéballs and me four. I wave and see Dawn speak to the professor before running outside too. When I look around town, Dawn taps on my shoulder. She waves. "Hi."

"Hey Dawn."

"Is Barry going to travel with you?"

"No. We were sticking together till we got here."

"Then can I travel with you?"

"Why?"

"I don't really like travelling alone and we might as well stick together, because we're both beginners."

I smile. "Okay."

Starly tweets as Dawn starts following. Piplup hops down and follows me as I walk to a building with a red roof. "That's the Pokémon Center. You can heal your pokémon for free and trainers can stay there if they need to, but that you need to pay for."

"The one with the blue roof is a Pokémart, right?" I ask.

"Yeah. Trainers can buy things they need to train and care for pokémon, like food and Potions."

"I need to get some food for Starly."

"Alright. I also needed some more."

We walk into the Pokémart and walk through the aisles. We each get some more food for our pokémon and head into the Pokémon Center. Dawn heads to Nurse Joy, who takes her pokémon. I head to the video phone and dial my mom's number. She picks up quickly. "Hello, Chris."

I smile. "Hi, Mom."

"How has your journey been so far?"

"I got a Starly this morning and Piplup's been doing good. She learned Bubble."

Starly tweets at the screen. Piplup smiles at Mom. "Good job catching him."

"Starly was hungry, so I fed him and we became friends."

"How's Barry doing?"

"After we saw the professor, he started going to Jubilife on his own."

"Are you on your own?"

"No. I've got my pokémon and one of the professor's assistants is with me."

I hear Dawn approaching. "Who is it?"

I move to show her Dawn. "This is Dawn. She'll be traveling with me."

"Hi," Dawn says. "I'm a new trainer, but I've been helping the professor for a couple years now."

"Oh," my mom says, surprised.

I look at my mom. "She's your age," she says.

I flush red. "What's that supposed to mean?"

"I'm just asking if you're comfortable travelling around the region with a girl."

"Mom!"

She giggles. I look at Dawn. Her face is red, too. I leer at Mom. "We've got to go, so…"

"Alright. Have fun, you two."

I hang up and look at Dawn. "Sorry about that."

She giggles. "I guess all moms are moms."

We both laugh. I look her in the eye. "Do you want to have a battle before we go?"

She nods. "Sure."

We head outside to the battlefield. She holds a pokéball in her right hand. I smile and look at Piplup. "Piplup, go!"

Piplup runs out in front of me. Dawn throws her pokéball. "Go, Chimchar!"

When she throws the ball, a white light forms into a small monkey. It's tail is on fire. Piplup looks at me, waiting for a command. "Use Bubble."

Piplup charges the attack and shoots bubbles at Chimchar. Chimchar dodges all but one, doing minimal damage. "Chimchar, use Scratch."

Chimchar rushes forward and scratches Piplup. "While he's close, use Bubble."

Dawn gasps. Piplup launches bubbles at point blank range, so none miss. Chimchar yells in pain as he is thrown back to Dawn. He struggles to get up after the attack. Piplup is doing fine. Dawn looks at Chimchar worryingly. I feel bad for her. "Do you want to call it off?"

"No we're fine, right Chimchar."

Chimchar smiles. "Chim Chimchar!"

I sigh. "Pound."

Piplup rushes forward and throws it's arm up. "Catch her wing!"

My eyes widen as Chimchar grabs Piplup's wing. "Grab her beak with your other arm."

"Damn it."

"Use Scratch with your feet."

Chimchar lifts both of his feet and uses Scratch. Piplup flies back, severely harmed. Piplup is glowing blue and Chimchar is glowing red. It's their abilities. I don't know if Chimchar knows a fire type move yet, but Piplup's ability is Torrent, which boosts Water-type attacks if the pokémon is in trouble. "Use Bubble."

Piplup fire bubbles at Chimchar faster than before. Chimchar tries to avoid them, but is hit by a few. Chimchar falls over, knocked out. Dawn sighs. "You tried your best Chimchar."

She pulls out his pokéball. "Return."

Piplup is panting heavily. Dawn smiles. "That was a pretty close match. Too bad Chimchar didn't have a Fire-type move."

I smile. "Yeah. It was a great battle."

I pick up Piplup. "I need you to go into your pokéball so I can heal you, alright?"

Piplup nods. "Return."

She is turned red and sucked into the ball. We both walk back in and heal our pokémon. After Piplup is healed, I let her out of her pokéball. When we walk out, we head up to Route 202 and start heading to Jubilife City.

About an hour to the city, we decide to stop and rest. Dawn and I send out our pokémon and sit in the shade of a big tree. Piplup sits in my lap and Starly roosts on a tree branch. Chimchar sits next to Dawn. "How does Chimchar's tail not burn anything?" I ask.

"I guess that he can control if he burns things or not."

I take out my Pokédex and start looking through it. I open the map and see how much longer until we're in Jubilife City. I sigh. "It'll be about a week until we reach Jubilife. More at the pace we're going."

"It doesn't really matter to me," Dawn says. "I just want to see all the pokémon in Sinnoh. I guess taking a bit longer won't hurt on that account."

"Do you have any other big dreams?"

"I don't know. I guess maybe doing Pokémon Contests. How about you?"

"I want to see the legendary pokémon of this region."

I take out a stick and sketch the pokémon I saw in the stars last night. "This one's my favorite. I can't remember it's name for the life of me though."

She looks at the sketch for a minute then pulls out her Pokédex. She looks around for a bit. She shows me the screen. "It's Giratina."

The Pokédex start talking. "Giratina. The Renegade Pokémon. It was banished for its violence. It silently gazes upon the old world from the Distortion World."

I smile. "I want to meet Giratina. I want to be it's friend."

Dawn giggles. "But it's a legendary pokémon. It's not like you see those everyday."

"I wish. Other than that, I want to become the Champion. That's much more obtainable than meeting a legendary pokémon in an alternate universe."

Dawn smiles. She puts her hand on mine, when I put it down. "I want to meet the legendary pokémon of the lakes. Azelf, Mesprit, and Uxie."

I look at her. "Do you believe in them?"

She nods. "Very much so."

"How about Dialga, Palkia, and Arceus?"

"Again. Other worlds. Palkia supposedly lives in the realm of space, Dialga in the realm of time, and Arceus, the Hall of Origin."

"I know, but it would be awesome to see them, right?"

"Yeah."

We keep holding each other's hands while getting to know each other. We're mainly holding hands to get used to each other's company. She releases my hand and shivers. We're the northernmost region, so it gets a bit chilly in the fall and winter. It's frozen up north all the time. She scoots close to me for warmth. "Do you mind if I…?" Dawn asks.

I nod. "It's fine. We're friends."

She leans into me. I look at her. Her eyes are closed as she rests her head on my shoulder. She's pretty light with most of her weight leaning against me. She's kinda cute. I take off my jacket and put it around her. She opens her eyes and looks at me. "Are you sure? You might get cold."

I smile. "It's fine. I'm used to the cold here."

She leans back into me. Piplup falls asleep in my lap. Chimchar yawns and curls up between Dawn and I. He is giving us warmth. I hear Dawn's breathing slow as she falls asleep. Only Starly and I are up right now. I lean my head back and stare into the clouds. I see something in the woods up ahead. I sit up and looks closer, but it hides. "Hello?"

I see a pokémon with a pink head with two ear-like appendages on the sides of its head. "Don't worry, I won't hurt you."

The pokémon comes closer and shivers. It has a grey body with two tails of the same color. It has yellow eyes and has a pink jewel on it's head and tails. It also has two small, grey feet. I circles around me, as if sensing something. It's expression changes from scared to joy as it circles around me in excitement. "Mes! Mes!"

It shivers as a breeze flows by. Dawn starts to stir again. She yawns as she huddles up in my jacket. Dawn opens her eyes and sees the pokémon in front of me. I pick up my pokédex and scan the pokémon. The entry opens. "Mesprit. The Emotion Pokémon. When Mesprit flew, people learned the joy and sadness of living. It was the birth of emotions."

I gasp and smile. Dawn's jaw drops. I switch to the camera on my Pokédex. Mesprit, acknowledging what I'm doing poses. She smiles and does a victory sign with her hands. I snap a picture and smile. "Thanks for letting me do that, Mesprit."  
"Mes. Mesprit."

Piplup wakes up along with Chimchar. Dawn takes a picture as well. "Hi, Mesprit."

Mesprit smiles at Dawn and waves. Mesprit looks around and uses Psychic on us to lift us all up. Starly flies along with us as Mesprit lifts us up into the sky. We're high enough to see all of Sinnoh. I smile and look around. I see parts of Hoenn, Kalos, and Alola. Mesprit looks at us happily as two other pokémon join us. They look similar to Mesprit, but one is blue and the other is yellow. The yellow one is Uxie and the blue one is Azelf. Uxie smiles as it comes closer to me. She touches my head and I feel my thoughts clear. A voice appears in my head. " _Hello, Chris. My name is Uxie._ "

I nod. "Hello, Uxie."

Mesprit touches Dawn's head, establishing a psychic link with her. I bring up my Pokédex and snap a few pictures of the legendary pokémon and the area around us. " _We have brought you here so we could talk in private._ "

Azelf leaves. " _Azelf is going to fetch your friend, Barry,_ " Uxie explains. " _Once he is here, we will tell you why we brought you here._ "

After a few minutes, Barry is flying up to us, screaming. Once Barry calms down, Azelf touches Barry's head. " _We have brought you three here because we have seen the future. If time continues as it is, an evil organization named Team Galactic will destroy the world and create a new world using our powers. After seeing this horrid vision, we needed to find the three chosen ones stated by Arceus himself._ "

"' _The ones named Chris, Dawn, and Barry are the ones who must save the world,' he said to us when we reported what we saw._ "

Uxie pauses before going on. " _He ordered us to be captured by you to remain safe from Team Galactic and to help you on your quest to save the world from its destruction. After we are captured, we will send you to Sandgem Town to report to the human known as Professor Rowan. On your journey, you may not use us in any on gyms or contests, as it may put our existences in jeopardy. In areas with no other people and when fighting Team Galactic in their own areas, we will gladly come out and help you fight._ "

" _If you have any questions, please ask._ "

Barry blurts out, "Why are we so special? Isn't the Champion stronger than any other trainer?"

" _I do not know the answer to that question,_ " Mesprit says. " _I just know that Arceus told us to find you three._ "

Dawn raises her hand. "Are you sure we have the capabilities to help you on this quest?"

All three of the legendary pokémon nod. " _Yes,_ " Azelf says. " _You are all brave and caring towards pokémon. You do not see them as tools, but as friends. In that case, we are willing to give up our freedom to be with you three._ "

"After the world is saved, would you like to be released back into the wild?"

Uxie thinks. " _It depends. If we like being with you, we may end up wanting to stay with you._ "

"What about your roles in the world? Wouldn't capturing you throw off the balance."

" _We can still keep the balance while inside a pokéball. It does not block us from using our powers on the world. I believe this is because legendary pokémon are more powerful than regular pokémon._ "

Piplup nods in agreement. "Any more questions?"

We all shake our heads. The three pokémon nod and slowly bring us to the outskirts of Sandgem Town. They each levitate one of our empty pokéballs and touch the button. They are all captured instantly and the balls drop to the ground. I look at the other two and nod. "Let's go to the professor."


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3: The Quest Begins

We all walk out of the woods and run into the professor's lab. As we run, the professor turns around, shocked that we're back. "I thought you would all be on your way to Jubilife City."

Dawn looks at the professor. "We need to talk."

"What is it?"

I look around. "In private," I say.

Rowan seems confused, but leads us into the back room. "What is it?"

I open my mouth when Barry spills everything. "Mesprit, Azelf, and Uxie came to us and told us we needed to save the world."

The professor sighs and turns around. "You pulled my aside for a little prank."

I look at Dawn and Barry and lift up Uxie's pokéball. We all nod and throw the pokéballs into the air. Uxie, Mesprit, and Azelf appear and look at the professor. Rowan turns around and jumps back as the three legendary pokémon stare at him. "What? How?"

I show him the pictures I took on my Pokédex and explain what the lake trio told us. He nods. "This is definitely a problem that must be dealt with immediately."

" _It's not as simple as that,_ " Uxie says. " _They also need to grow as trainers to be able to fight them, let alone save the world._ "

"I agree entirely, Uxie."

Rowan turns around. "I need you all to challenge the gyms in order to grow enough to fight Team Galactic."

He turns back to the pokémon. "How will we recognize them?"

They send an image of a man in a silver space suit and has blue hair in a bowl cut. They also send an image of a yellow G. " _That is what their grunts look like and the last image was a photo of their logo._ "

" _We also have one last image,_ " Azelf says.

I see an image of a man with blue hair in front of Giratina, Dialga, and Palkia in an area with floating islands and a black and red void surrounding everything. The lake trio are in chains. " _This is the end of the world,_ " Uxie says.

My heart rate accelerates so much, I'm surprised I'm not passing out. I'm terrified. " _Do not worry. This is what we are working to avoid,_ " Mesprit says.

Dawn is shivering. She puts her arms around me in fear. "It's alright, Dawn."

Rowan looks at all of us. "It's probably time for you three to get to the gyms. You need to train fast. I'm sorry this had to happen, but Team Galactic will not wait for you to stop them. I doubt they know you exist, so get to Oreburgh City as fast as you can."

" _It does not have to be that fast,_ " Uxie says.

"What?" Professor Rowan asks.

" _The world ends in three years._ "

"They still have to hurry. The gyms are very far apart from each other. For most trainers, it takes three or four years just to collect the badges. It is practically impossible to collect all of the badges in so little time."

Rowan looks at us. "Do you remember the reason why you're collecting badges?"

"To strengthen our pokémon."

"If the powers of the Legendary Pokémon are not enough to stop Team Galactic, the Legendaries will need your help."

I nod along with Dawn and Barry. I look at Dawn. "Let's go."

I look at Uxie. "Uxie, return."

Uxie returns to her pokéball. Dawn and Barry return Azelf and Mesprit. We all leave the lab and start off down the road to Jubilife City. Barry runs ahead. "I bet I can get all eight badges first before the end."

I look at Dawn. "A friendly encounter with a Legendary Pokémon turned into horrifying news," she says, frowning.

I pick up Uxie's pokéball and look at it. "I never thought I would have Uxie in my party."

" _Why is that, Master?_ " Uxie says, surprising me.

I look around. "Uxie?"

" _Shh. There are trainers nearby._ "

"Oh, right."

Dawn seems normal. I wonder why. " _It's because I am talking to her as well,_ " Uxie explains. " _Speak through telepathy to me. You do not want other people thinking you are weird._ "

" _Okay,_ " I think.

" _That is better._ "

"How can you talk to me when in a pokéball?"

" _We are Legendary Pokémon. We are stronger than normal pokémon. We already discussed this._ "

" _Yeah?_ "

" _Yes._ "

" _Are you guys going to talk already?_ " Dawn asks in my head.

I jump when I hear her voice. " _Alright._ "

" _I never thought I would have you in my party because I only knew you were a legend. A story told around campfires at night._ "

" _That make sense, Master._ "

" _Don't call me Master._ "

" _Why?_ "  
" _It's just… weird._ "

" _Alright, Chris._ "

I don't say anything. " _Is that all, Chris?_ "

" _Yeah._ "

I feel Uxie's presence leave my head. Dawn looks at me then at the sky. It's turning orange. "It's almost night."

"Do you want to run and see how far we can make it?" Dawn asks.

"What happened to take all the time we need?"

"We're on a time limit now."

I chuckle. "Alright."

I turn and look at Piplup. "Hold on, Pip."

Piplup grabs the loop of my backpack. I look at Starly. "Let's go, Starly."

"Starly!"

Starly darts forward as Dawn and I run. Chimchar is jumping from tree to tree, following us down the path. We run until the sky turns dark blue, then stop to catch our breath. We both check our Pokédexes. "We're where we were when we saw Mesprit," I say.

We go into the trees and set up camp. Dawn sets up a tent and I start a small fire with the help of Chimchar. Dawn yawns as she walks out of the tent in her pajamas. The stars are out. I look at Dawn in the light of the fire. She's wearing pink pajamas and is wearing pink slippers. I wear an old t-shirt and shorts as pajamas. I look around and, seeing no trainers, let out Uxie. Uxie stretches and flies up over the trees. She circles back around and hovers above us patiently. "Hey Uxie?" I say.

" _Yes Chris?_ "

"After Team Galactic is gone, would we be free to keep you out of your pokéball if you wish?"

Uxie thinks for a moment. " _I guess so because no one else would be wanting to use my power for evil._ "

Dawn lets out Mesprit. Mesprit and Uxie talk for a while while Dawn and I talk. "Hey, Chris," Dawn says.

"Yeah?"  
"Do you think our life would be normal after this?"

"I don't think our life would ever be normal after this. I mean we're going to save the world and even so, we have Legendary Pokémon that may or may not stay with us afterwards."

"I know, but you know life will be normal. We won't have to worry about pokémon being taken or the world being destroyed, so…"

"I guess."

I look at Dawn. "Are you hungry?"

She looks at me and nods. I look at Piplup and Starly. "Are you two hungry?"

They say their names and nod. I grab a bowl for the three of my pokémon and pour some food in. "Uxie, I've got food for you guys."

Uxie looks at me and I point to the food bowl. She smiles and floats to the bowl. Dawn pours some for Chimchar and Mesprit. I hear rustling in the bushes near Dawn. Azelf and Uxie hide behind both of us when a small, white pokémon with green hair and two red horns on the front and back of it's head peeks through the bushes. Dawn awes as the pokémon fumbles its way through the bush. I hold up my Pokédex and scan it. "Ralts. The Feeling Pokémon. If its horns capture the warm feelings of people or pokémon, its body warms up slightly. This Ralts is female."

Ralts stumbles to the group and sits in front of the campfire. We both smile at the Ralts happily. Ralts' horn glows red and it looks at the two of us. "Ralts?" she says.

Dawn slowly crawls towards the Ralts. Ralts backs up, scared. Dawn backs up. Ralts starts to run away, but stumbles and falls. I gasp as it gets up weakly. "Ralts…" she says in pain.

"Piplup, go to Ralts and try to cheer it up."

Piplup swallows the food in her mouth and runs to Ralts. Dawn is looking at her Pokédex. "Ralts don't live around here. They live by Mt. Coronet."

I look at the Ralts in disbelief. "How is it here?"

Ralts ignores Piplup and starts to cry. "Maybe she got separated from her family," Dawn says.

Ralts looks back at Dawn and goes to her. It reaches up to her. "Ral, ral."

Dawn slowly reaches down and picks up the Ralts. She hugs her and the Ralts cries into her pajamas. Mesprit flies over to the Ralts and lays her hand on the Ralts' back. Ralts stops crying and hugs Dawn. When Dawn lets go of her, Ralts drops down in front of her, smiling. "Huh?"

" _Mesprit is the Emotion Pokémon, Chris,_ " Uxie says. " _That's also the reason she gets along with Dawn so well. Both of them are emanating with emotions. I am the Knowledge Pokémon. Since me and you are the wisest of the group, we are able to bond better._ "

I nod. "That definitely makes sense."

" _You know a lot about pokémon and the legends. They came to you easily because we were destined to meet._ "

Dawn is giving Ralts a pokéball. She talks to the Ralts and she nods. Ralts presses the button and is captured. Dawn lets Ralts out, who immediately goes to eat. We watch the pokémon as they eat. I pull out some food I bought at the store and hand some to Dawn. She takes it with a smile and begins eating. I lie down in my sleeping bag as the pokémon finish eating and head to bed. "Good night, Dawn."

"Good night, Chris."

A/N: I hope you give me some feedback on how this is going. I'm also adding one of my favorite characters in all of pokémon starting next chapter. I hope you enjoy this.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4: The Mysterious Challenger

I wake up to a slowly brightening sky. I sit up and look around. I see Dawn out of the corner of my eye. She's changing, but I can still see her. I immediately flush red. She's in her panties. Luckily, they're a new pair, so she puts on her clothes. I stand up and get changed too. Uxie and Mesprit are sleeping together. Piplup is just starting to wake along with Starly. Ralts and Chimchar are still sleeping. When I walk out, I'm calmed down. Dawn smiles at me. "Good morning, sleepyhead," she says.

I am about to reply when I hear a rustling in the bushes. I immediately take a blanket and cover the Legendary Pokémon. Two young men walk into our campsite. One is wearing a black tanktop and blue jeans with two pockets on the front. He has blonde and mildly red hair. The other is wearing a black hat with a horizontal white stripe with two 'ears' on it. He is wearing a black sweater with an orange vest. He has brown pants and is wearing brown fingerless gloves. "Trudly," the man without a hat says to the other. "Seems we got separated from the boss again."

Trudly looks around, not noticing us. "It seems that way Folly."

Folly takes notice of us. "Look, trainers."

They smile and walk to us. "Hey! It's time to give up your pokémon to us!" Trudly says.

I sigh. "No."

Dawn and I cross our arms and I send out Piplup, who is fully awake. Dawn sends out Ralts, who woke up when she sensed their bad intentions. I smirk to try and frighten them, but they just laugh. I hear beeping by the men. "Our boss is here, and he's going to take care of you two."

I hear funky music start playing as a tall and slender man with a red and white afro moonwalks out from the woods. He is bare-chested and is wearing an open purple jacket as well as purple pants. He is wearing yellow heels, a yellow scarf, and sunglasses. He spins around to the beat. "Alright, alright!" he says, turning to us. "Stop the music!"

Folly presses a button on his Pokétch and the disco music stops. "So, I hear you two aren't willing to hand over your precious pokémon for our cause," the man says.

I look at Dawn and give her a look saying, 'Is this guy for real?' Dawn shrugs. "Hey! Pay attention."

He steps forward. "Now you're going to hand over your pokémon, or we _will_ take them by force."

"We're not giving them up, especially to you," Dawn says.

"Alright then, but beware as I am a strong trainer. Behold the awesome power of Miror B.!"

Miror B. points his hand in the air and music starts playing again.

[Song: Miror B. Battle]

Miror B. sends out two Lombres. Dawn sticks with Chimchar, but I switch to Starly. The men in front of us smile. "Lombre, use Rain Dance!"

One of the Lombre dances, causing a small cloud to appear above the battlefield. The Lombres smile as they start to move quicker. "Chimchar, use Ember!"

Chimchar breathes out small balls of fire. "Use Water Gun," Miror B. says, smiling.

The other Lombre shoots a stream of water at the fire, dissipating it. The water goes on to hit Chimchar, inflicting massive damage. "Starly, Wing Attack!"

Starly flies forward and makes his wings glow white. "Starly!" he yells hitting one of the Lombres inflicting lots of damage.

Miror B. takes no notice, as he is dancing to the beat of the music. I feel my body starting to move as I get into the groove of the moment. Dawn seems to be starting to dance as well. "Chimchar, get close then use Scratch."

Chimchar jumps forward and scratches Lombre to the beat. Lombre is slowly losing health. "Water Gun!"

Both Lombres fire their Water type attacks at each of our pokémon. Chimchar flies into a tree and crashes to the ground, knocked out. Starly gets knocked out of the air and crashes onto the Legendary Pokémon, knocked out as well. I gasp as I realize how strong this guy is. Uxie and Mesprit rise out from under the blanket, enraged. Team Miror gasps as the Legendary Pokémon float in front of us and start to battle. "Uxie, Psychic!"

"Mesprit, Shadow Ball!"

Uxie holds her arms out and grips one of the Lombres and Mesprit fires a shadowy ball at the other. Both Lombres are knocked out. They back up as Uxie and Mesprit float towards them. They both use Psychic and throw them away. "Team Miror will return," Miror B. yells as he is sent out of sight.

[Song End]

I take a sigh of relief now that that's over. Dawn sits down and look at Starly and Chimchar, inspecting how they are. Starly just got a bruise where he was hit and wakes up just fine after using a Potion. Chimchar on the other hand… "Chimchar, wake up," Dawn says about to use a Potion.

Mesprit floats to her. " _It won't work, Dawn. The damage is too severe. He will need a revive._ "

I nod. "Alright. Chimchar, return."

She holds up the pokéball, which takes Chimchar in with a beam of red light. I look at Uxie and Mesprit. "Are you two okay?"

They nod. " _Yes, Chris,_ " Uxie says.

Mesprit nods happily. "I'm glad you two are okay."

I look at Dawn. "We should probably get moving."

After we pack up, I see something on the ground. It's a blue cartridge. I pick it up. It's for a Pokétch, but it looks custom-made. I read to words on it. "Team Miror Property. Miror B. Radar. Useful to know when the boss is close to help us in times of need. Two copies."

It's in a package, so it hasn't been used. I put it in my pocket and start off down the road with Dawn after return Uxie and Mesprit.

We walk down the path for a few days until we come across a sign. "Jubilife City- Just Ahead."

We both high five and run down the path. When we reach the city, the tall buildings everywhere amaze me. We walk to the center of town, where we see Barry looking around. We run over to him. "Barry!" we yell.

He looks over at us, smiling. "Chris! Dawn!"

He run together embracing each other in a group hug. It's about midday, so we've been walking all morning. "Want to get something to eat?" I ask. "We skipped breakfast to make sure we got here."

"And who's idea was that?" Dawn remarks.

"Uxie's, if I remember," I say, keeping my voice down.

"Yep," Dawn says. "She insisted that we keep moving because we would run out of time."

I look around when I see Professor Rowan being pushed around by someone in a spacesuit-like outfit. I point at them and run over with Barry and Dawn. I stop in front of the three Team Galactic members. "Team Galactic!"

The two men and one woman turn around. "How did you recognize us?"  
"The outfits. Kinda makes you stand out."

"Clever brats," the woman says.

Rowan looks at us cautiously, remembering how strong they are. I back up and send out a Shinx I caught yesterday. "Shinx," he barks, happy to fight.

Dawn sends out Ralts and Barry sends out Turtwig. "Ralts!" "Twig!"

The grunts chuckle as they send out a Glameow, a Stunky, and a Zubat. Piplup goes to the sideline and cheers with Chimchar. "Pip! Piplup!" "Chim! Chimchar!"

Barry makes the first move. "Turtwig use Energy Ball on Glameow."

The Grass type opens his mouth and charges a green ball, which he blasts at the Glameow. "Dodge and use Scratch."

The Glameow jumps over it and dashes forward. It scratches Turtwig, but doesn't do a lot of damage thanks to his high defense. "Ralts, use Confusion on Zubat!"

Ralts' eyes glow blue along with the outline of Zubat as she invades it's mind. Zubat screeches in pain and falls to the ground, taken out in one hit by the super effective move. "Stunky use Pursuit on that pesky Ralts."

Stunky unleashes a Dark type assault on Ralts. "Shinx, knock Ralts out of the way and take the attack yourself."

Shinx nods, knowing what I am about to do. It pushes Ralts out of the way and is hit by Pursuit. Fortunately, Ralts is safe from the super effective attack. Shinx struggles to stay up however. He pushes through the pain however, coming to his senses. "Shinx, use Charge, then Spark on Stunky!"

Shinx charges up it's electricity and surrounds itself with electricity. He rams into Stunky as hard as he can, inflicting massive damage. Stunky faints due to the super charged attack. I look to see how Barry's doing. His opponent has fainted as well. The grunts are visibly shocked. They call back their pokémon and run away, terrified. Rowan walks over to us. "Thank you all. I think you deserve to be rewarded. Let's get lunch, my treat."

I smile at the professor and nod.

At the Pokémon Center cafeteria, we order some food. As they are cooking, Professor Rowan looks at us. "How was the journey here?"

Barry shrugs. "Pretty boring actually. It was just a lot of running."

"We had a bit more fun that you did, then."

Dawn giggles. "Yep."

Barry looks at us, wondering what we're talking about. We tell them about Team Miror and our battle with Miror B. Rowan chuckles. "That seems very eventful. They may show up again now that they know your pokémon."

I nod. "Even after that beating, I know they'll be back."

Barry groans. "I wish I could've seen them."

I yawn and when I take a look at the other tables, I see Trudly and Folly. Professor Rowan gives us each a gift. We open it to reveal Pokétches. I look at him. "You didn't…"

"Trust me when I say you three are the most interesting trainers I've ever met. You deserve them."

I put the device on my left wrist and insert the radar cartridge. I hand the other to Dawn. When they download, they immediately go off. I hear it from the other table too. Trudly is smirking at us. He presses a button on his wrist. Music starts playing.

[Song: Miror B. Battle]

The two men stand up and Miror B. moonwalks into the cafeteria. "You two! You may have beaten us once, but you will not beat us again. I have got my stronger pokémon this time."

He sends out two Ludicolos, the evolution of Lombre. I growl and stand up. "Let's take this outside, Miror B.!"

He smiles and we head to the battlefield of the pokémon center. Rowan looks at both sides of the battlefield. "Let the battle between Miror B. and the team of Dawn and Chris begin!"

Miror B. sends the Ludicolo out. I send out Shinx and Dawn lets Ralts battle. "Shinx, use Charge."

"Ralts, use Confusion."

Ralts invades the Ludicolo's mind, confusing it. "Ludicolo, use Rain Dance."

He looks at the confused one after the rain starts. "Use Hydro Pump."

Ludicolo gets ready to attack, but falls on his back, shooting the Hydro Pump into the air and back onto him, hurting himself. I smile. "Use Spark on the non-confused one."

Shinx charges forward surrounding himself with electricity and rams Ludicolo. It doesn't do much damage, but it starts twitching. It's paralysed. I smile. "Use Tackle."

"Use Confusion again."

With his team confused and paralysed, we might stand a chance. Shinx rams the paralysed one, dealing a little more damage. One Ludicolo falls, due to Ralts' Confusion.

The paralysed one stands however. "Use Hydro Pump on Shinx."

It works past it's paralysis, landing the attack on Shinx. "Shinx! Are you alright?"

I see a bright light coming from within the Hydro Pump. When the attack fades, I see a black and blue lion. "Luxio!" he roars.

The Ludicolo seems scared, because it's not dancing anymore. I see Barry and Miror dancing however. "Luxio, use Bite!"

Luxio runs forward and opens it's mouth. It locks its jaw on the Ludicolo, causing massive damage. "Ludi!"

"Now use Shock Wave!"

The Ludicolo yells in pain as Luxio unleashes a shock of electricity at point blank range. Luxio releases his jaw, making Ludicolo faint. Miror B. returns the Ludicolo. "Even my strongest pokémon couldn't handle these punks?!"  
Folly looks at his boss. "What now?"

Miror B. turns around. "Retreat!"

The three criminals run away from us.

[Song End]

Luxio sits as the three get out of sight. Barry laughs. "That sure was funny."

I shrug. "If it weren't for Luxio, I probably would've had to bring out _her_ , but all's well that ends well, right?"

Dawn nods. "Yeah. That's right."

Rowan walks to us. "I believe there may be more to those three than meets the eye."

I nod. "I can't help but think that he's not being serious with us."

Dawn thinks. "I don't think those Ludicolo were his strongest pokémon."

I nod. "If he's the boss, he's got to have stronger pokémon."

Rowan sighs. "Unfortunately, he's not trying to destroy the world. Team Galactic won't be so easily stopped."

I yawn. "It's getting late and it's been a long day."

"Piplup…" Piplup says, tired.

Luxio walks back to me and puts his head in my hand. "Lux!"

I pet Luxio as we walk back into the Pokémon Center. "You have definitely grown since I last saw you three," Rowan says. "It's amazing how fast kids can grow when sent on a journey. You three act like kids, but when you battle, I see adults thinking carefully about strategy and care for your pokémon."

I return my pokémon to heal them before renting a room. "Good night, Professor," I say when I get my pokémon back.

He waves. "Good night."

"'Night," Barry says.

"Good night, Chris," Dawn says.

When I get to my room, I look around. There's a bathroom with a shower, one bed, and a nightstand. I let out my pokémon with the exception of Uxie. "Good night, everyone."

They all curl up on the floor and say their names back to me. I change into my pajamas after getting out of the shower and lay in bed. I fall asleep quickly.

Author's Note: Team Miror is going to be like Team Rocket, appearing every so often. Hope you enjoy.


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5: Nightmares and Oreburgh City, Roark

Dawn, Barry, and I finally see the cave to Oreburgh City. Ralts, Chimchar, and Piplup say their names happily. I look at the time. "It's 8. We should probably set up camp."

Dawn nods as she starts getting her sleeping bag and the rest of camp set up. Barry starts getting unpacked as well. It's been a week since the three of us banded together. Barry has stuck around with us, for the most part. We've been eager for our first gym challenge. I stretch as I finish putting on my pajamas. I look around so see if there are other trainers around. There are a few scattered here and there. We let out the rest of our pokémon, excluding the Lake Trio. I sigh as I look at the stars. "Uxie would've liked to see this night sky."

When I let her out of her pokéball, I usually find her staring into the night sky. My Starly evolved into a Staravia a couple days ago. Luxio lies on the ground and Piplup gets in her sleeping bag. Our teams are pretty strong. The toughest match we had so far was Miror B., but we still beat him pretty easily. The night sky hypnotizes me into a slumber.

I awake in a pitch-black area. I look around and see myself along with Dawn. I see a silhouette with wispy hair and no legs in one vision. I see myself with a young man and a Lucario. The young man has dark blue hair and is wearing a blue hat. He is wearing a blue button-up jacket over a black shirt, brown pants, and gray shoes. He has a golden necklace. He is glowing a light blue. I have a Riolu beside me, glowing a similar tint. The next images shocks me the most. I'm diving into a swirling, blue void and am reaching out to a man with spiky, blue hair. He is wearing a Team Galactic uniform. I'm wearing a similar outfit to the young man in the last image, minus the hat. My outfit has a cape with black on the outside and blue on the inside. I'm also wearing blue gloves. The next image shows Dawn and I hugging each other closely. Dawn and I look a few years older, but Dawn looks injured. My dream suddenly disappears, being replaced with a haunting feeling looming over me. I am in complete darkness, but I have control over myself. "Dawn?!"

"Barry?!"

"Piplup?!"  
"Anyone?!"  
I see a figure appear from the darkness. It is a man in a black and grey cloak with an eerie design. He has green hair and pale skin. He has a red lense over his right eye. His left arm is extending out from his cloak. He has his hand on a cane with a circle with a shield in it near the top. The shield has a P with a backward Z through it. It is on a black and white background. He chuckles and holds his arm out. "Attack him with everything you have."

A bipedal dragon with a body extending near the ground appears beside him. It growls as it charges an Ice type attack. It fires at me. I yell in pain and jolt awake. I look around to see if anyone's there. I see a black pokémon with wispy, white hair rising out of the ground. It stares at me for a while. I look at Dawn. Her teeth are clenched and she is in some sort of pain. Suddenly, she jolts up as I did. The pokémon then looks at Barry, who starts to have the same experience. When he awakens in a similar manner, the pokémon comes out of the shadows of the trees. " _You just experienced a glimpse of your future. Along with your downfall,_ " the pokémon says in my head. " _It may change if you learn how everything plays out and act differently. This will cause no strain on time. These are events that may happen if you continue on the route that you are going._ "

The pokémon sinks into the ground, leaving us. We all look at each other and silently pack up. As we wait for our pokémon to wake up, I look at Dawn. "What did you dream about?"

She blushes and looks away from me. "Us."

"What?"

"I mean, us together. I saw us hugging in a Pokémon Center, a metal disk, then us kissing by a giant, white pokémon, and finally a man with green hair…"

"And a black cloak?" I ask, interrupting her.

"Yeah… How did you know?"

"I dreamt the same thing. I first saw the pokémon we saw earlier, but somewhere else, then a man and a Lucario talking to me standing with a Riolu."

I pause before I explain the next picture. "I was in a place with floating islands wearing a blue outfit with black boots, blue gloves, and a black and blue cape. I was diving after a man with spiky, blue hair in a Team Galactic uniform."

I blush as I think about the next picture. "I saw us hugging each other, but you had bandages all over your body. Then in the last dream. The man you saw was ordering a pokémon to attack me without mercy. When the attack hit, I felt the icicle pierce my body."

"A pokémon attacking you?"

"Didn't you have the same dream?"

"It was the same man, but he ordered a man wearing black who had half of his face masked to kill me. I felt a blade pierce through my heart and I woke up."

I look at Barry. "What about you, Barry?"

His eyes are wide. He's taking deep breaths and is curling himself up into a ball. "I saw some shit."

He doesn't usually swear. "That bad?"

He nods. "It started off fine. Us travelling together throughout Sinnoh, then a fight between you and me. It was at the Pokémon League."

He shudders. "The nightmare… I was fighting a giant, black dragon as a young man with long, green hair was watching. He was afraid when the dragon wouldn't stay in my Ultra Balls. It just kept attacking me relentlessly. Eventually, it grabbed me faster than I could see. I felt thousands of volts of electricity flow through my body. That's when I woke up."

I think for a minute. ' _Nightmares. That pokémon we saw._ '

I gasp as I realize. "We saw Darkrai! He's famous for giving people nightmares!"

Barry doesn't seem to take notice, as he is still freaked out. Dawn opens her mouth in surprise. "Hey, Chris?" Dawn asks.

"Yeah?"  
"All those events may happen, right?"

I nod. She leans forward and closes her eyes. She puts her arms around me and puts her face by mine. Her lips connect with mine. My face immediately turns red. When she stops, I open my eyes, waking up. I look around. Dawn is looking at me expectantly. "Well? An answer?"

"Oh…" I say, blushing. "Yeah. Darkrai said that."

"Does that mean we fall in love? The images I saw showed that."

She pauses. "Some a bit more than others."

Her faces turns red when she says that. "What was it?"

She turns away. "Nothing. It's too weird."

I turn away, too. "Is it… ' _that_ '?" I ask.

She nods. "Yeah. ' _That…_ '"

I flush red. "Well… This just got awkward."

I look at Dawn. ' _We hook up?!_ ' I think to myself.

Dawn closes her eyes. "Let's just forget about all that."

I nod. "Alright."

I can't get the thought of Dawn in the same bed with me out of my head. I think of something else. "So, are you guys ready for the gym?"

Barry is taken out of his funk with that. "Of course!"

Dawn goes back to her natural shade. "I guess."

I smile. "Alright. Let's wake the pokémon up."

An hour later, we have eaten and are entering Oreburgh Gate, the cave leading to Oreburgh City. Piplup stays close to me as we walk through the cave. Chimchar lights the way, leading us through the darkness. Dawn is red again. We just can't get the thoughts of each other out of our heads. Barry is shuddering again. Piplup looks at us, curious. "Pip?"

Chimchar is curious too. "Char?"

"Twig?"

I smile. "It's nothing, Piplup."

Dawn is blushing profusely. "It's just my thoughts, Chimchar."

Ralts is sitting on Dawn's shoulder. She is blushing as well. " _That's weird, Dawn,_ " she says, surprising us all.

"You can talk?!" we all shout.

" _Yeah…_ "

I have to admit, I am quite curious about what Dawn is thinking about. Ralts smiles and sends an image of Dawn and I making out. I blush immensely. "Seriously, Dawn?!"  
Ralts puts her arm up again. "If you send it to Barry, I kill you," I say.

Ralts immediately puts her arm down and her eyes stop glowing. I go on the other side of Barry to try and get my naughty thoughts about Dawn out of my head. It proves unsuccessful, as I hear Dawn groan along with Ralts giggling. Our thoughts about each other are transferred back and forth until we reach the end of the cave. As I step into the sunlight, I look at Dawn. She cannot get any redder. "Ralts, use Amnesia on Chris and I for our thoughts about each other."

" _Aww, why? It's fun seeing you two like this._ "

"If we fall in love. I want it to be a surprise about when it all happens. Darkrai's a jerk for spoiling my love life."

I feel another dirty thought about me enter my head. "Ralts, STOP!"

She laughs at my reaction. " _Alright, I'll erase your memories._ "

Her eyes glow and all of a sudden I don't remember why I was angry. I look over at Dawn, who is beet red. "Dawn? Are you alright?"

She pulls out a mirror. "Am I blushing?"

Ralts giggles. "What is it?" Dawn asks.

" _Oh, nothing._ "

Dawn returns to her normal skin color as we walk into Oreburgh City. Barry drags us along to the gym. "We're here," he says, stopping us in front of a building.

The building is brown and a sign outside says, "Oreburgh Pokémon Gym. Leader: Roark."

"I wonder what type he uses."

"It's rock," a man says behind us.

I turn around. The man is wearing a lab coat. Dawn smiles and hugs him. "Daddy!"

Dawn's dad hugs his daughter. "He is very tough, but grass, fighting, and rock types should be pretty effective."

I nod. "Thanks for the help."

He nods. "You're welcome."

We walk in. The lights are off. The door closes behind us, making the lights turn on. The gym's interior is made of mostly rocks. A man with red hair, grey mining clothes and a miner's hat complete with a built-in light is standing at the other end of the room. "Welcome to the Oreburgh Gym, challengers. May I please know your names?"

I nod. "My name is Chris. I came all the way from Twinleaf Town."

Barry nods. "I'm Barry. I'm Chris' neighbor."

Dawn stretches. "I'm Dawn. I'm from Sandgem Town."

"That's quite a long way from here."

"Yeah, it's been a while."

"I appreciate you all coming here despite your distance from this place. Now, who will battle first?"

Barry chuckles and taps my shoulder. "I want to know what pokémon this guy has. Take one for the team."

I raise my hand. "I will."

Roark smiles. "Alright. If the rest of you would take a seat."

Dawn and Barry sit in the bleachers. I look at Piplup, who is by my side. "Ready?"

She nods and runs in front of me. "Piplup!"

Roark smiles. "Starting off with a type advantage. Clever."

He throws a pokéball. "Go, Geodude!"

A rock with arms materializes on the battlefield. A referee runs to the side. "Let the 3 vs. 3 battle between Roark's Geodude and Chris' Piplup start!"

[Song: Sinnoh Gym Leader Battle]

"Alright, Piplup! Use Bubblebeam!"

Piplup jumps into the air and opens her mouth. "Pip! Lup!"

She blasts several bubbles from her mouth, which all hit Geodude, who takes massive damage. "Use Rock Throw!"

Geodude picks up a few rocks and throws them at Piplup. "Dodge them!"

Piplup, despite her best efforts is hit with two rocks. Piplup picks herself up from the floor shakily. "Are you okay?"

"Pip!"

"Alright. Use Bubblebeam again."

Piplup fires the bubbles again. "Use Stealth Rock to pop them!"

The Geodude throws tiny stones into the air, which pop the bubbles being blasted at it. I gasp. "Use Peck!"

Piplup runs forward. Roark chuckles as Piplup runs closer. "Now switch to Bubblebeam."

Piplup opens her mouth and fires bubbles at point blank range, surprising Roark. When Piplup flips back to me, the Geodude is on the ground and has swirls for eyes. "Geodude is unable to battle! The round goes to Chris!"

Roark returns his Geodude and sends out another Rock type. A giant rock snake appears in front of us. "Onix!"

I smirk. "Bubblebeam!"

Piplup opens her mouth when… "Use Screech!"

Onix screeches, disorienting Piplup. "Now use Rock Throw!"

"Piplup!"

Onix knocks rocks at Piplup, kicking up dust. When the dust clears, Piplup is lying on the ground, knocked out. "Piplup is unable to battle, so the round goes to Roark."

It's one-one. I return Piplup and send out Luxio, knowing I won't be able to use electric moves. Luxio growls, startling Onix. "An electric type? You do know electric type moves don't work on ground types, right?"

I nod. "I'm completely aware. Use Bite."

Luxio charges forward and bites Onix. Luxio bites through the rock, causing some damage, but Onix shakes Luxio off effortlessly. Luxio lands and pants. He took a bit of damage from that. I think. "Rock Throw!"

Onix hits rocks at Luxio with it's tail. I come up with an idea. "Use Spark to create a shield and ram the rocks back at Onix!"

Luxio charges his electricity and creates an electrical field around him. He charges forward and rams the first rock. He takes a lot of damage, but manages to push it using the shield as leverage. Luxio jumps on the rest of the rocks and uses Tackle on the rock still in the air to hit it back. The rock hits Onix in the head, knocking it to the ground. "Finish it off with Bite!"

Luxio chomps onto Onix again, inflicting enough damage to knock it out, but Onix hits Luxio with it's tail, knocking him against the wall. "Both pokémon are unable to battle. The score is two-two. Whoever knocks out the other first wins."

Roark throws his last pokéball, sending out a Cranidos, a fossil pokémon. I look at Dawn, troubled. She knows my last two pokémon. Staravia and Uxie. Staravia doesn't stand a chance. I can't use Uxie. " _It's fine, Chris,_ " Uxie says. " _Use me._ "

I nod and grab Uxie's pokéball. "Go!"

I throw the pokéball, sending out Uxie. "Uxie!" she yells.

Roark starts shaking. "What? A L-L-Legendary Pokémon?"

I frown. "This isn't at all fair."

Uxie looks back at me. " _But Chris…_ "

"Uxie, I know you want to fight for me, but you're overpowered, especially for a Cranidos."

Uxie nods. " _So, Staravia,_ " she says sadly.

Roark clears his throat. The referee shouts, "The fight between Roark's Cranidos and Chris' Uxie will begin!"

No withdrawals. It's too late. I frown. "Future Sight."

Uxie holds it arms up and sends a purple lightning bolt into the air. "Pursuit!"

Cranidos charges forward and rams Uxie with the super effective move. Uxie takes no visible damage. I close my eyes. "Calm Mind."

Uxie clears her mind, increasing her stats. "Pursuit…" Roark says, quieter.

Uxie gets hit again, taking no visible damage.

Purple lightning drops onto Cranidos, inflicting heavy damage. When the dust clears, Cranidos is knocked out, with swirls for eyes. "Cranidos is unable to battle, meaning the challenger Chris and his Uxie are the winners."

[Music End]

Roark comes over and inspects Uxie after. "What a wonderful pokémon, is it the real Uxie?"

I nod. " _Yes,_ " Uxie says, surprising Roark.

Uxie flies around, eventually resting by my side. Roark reaches into his pocket. "As always when a trainer wins, here's the Coal Badge."

He holds a brown badge in his palm. "Keep it. I don't deserve it. I cheated."

Roark gasps. "You won fair and square."

I throw my other pokéball, letting out Staravia. "I still had Staravia, yet I went and used Uxie."

Roark sighs. "I don't blame you. I would've went with Uxie, too."

I smile and take the badge. I put it in the case. I look at Dawn and Barry. "Well, I spilled the beans. He knows I have Uxie. Show him."

Dawn and Barry let out Mesprit and Azelf. Uxie flies to them, happy to see them again. Roark and the referee look in awe at the three Legendaries. We return them and I sit in the bleachers. Roark goes to the healing machine in the back of the gym. He heals his pokémon as Barry takes his place on the battlefield. Barry completely dominates with his Turtwig. In the battle with Cranidos, Cranidos uses Rock Throw. Turtwig is hit by them, but glows white all of a sudden. Turtwig morphs into a bigger version of himself with a bush on his back instead. "Grotle!"

Grotle defeats the Rock type with Vine Whip. Barry receives his badge. I look at Dawn. She gets up and goes to the battlefield. She seems different in the gym. She seems cuter, as if she could get any cuter than before. I immediately blush. ' _What am I thinking?! I don't like Dawn!_ '

I look back at her. She looks at Ralts and smiles. "You ready?"

Ralts nods, levitating herself to the battlefield. I see her horn glow and she smiles. I push the thoughts out of my head as I focus on the battle. Geodude throws rocks at Ralts, but Ralts uses Confusion to fling the rocks aside, or slow them down enough to dodge. She then grips Geodude and throws him back into the wall. Geodude faints quickly. Onix roars as he is let out of his pokéball. Onix throws rocks a bit harder than before, but still not a problem to Ralts. Dawn smiles. "Magical Leaf!" she shouts.

Ralts summons a few leaves with a psychic gleam around them and fires them at Onix. Onix is cut by the many leaves. Magical Leaf can't miss, so there is no sense in dodging. Onix faints from the unexpected attack. Ralts smiles as Roark returns Onix in replace of Cranidos. Cranidos roars as Ralts starts floating. "Magical Leaf."

"Use Rock Throw on the leaves, then use Pursuit."

The leaves are hit out of the air. Cranidos runs to Ralts, emanating a dark aura. It rams Ralts before she has time to react. "Ralts is unable to battle, meaning Cranidos is the winner."

Dawn returns Ralts and rests her hand on Chimchar's pokéball. She is looking down, causing her hair to cast a shadow onto her face. I can't stand to see her this down. She throws the pokéball, releasing Chimchar. Chimchar yells excitedly. Dawn puts her hand out. "Scratch," she says, quietly.

Chimchar runs forward and scratches the rock type, dealing little damage. Roark looks at her, worried. "Pursuit."

Cranidos rams Chimchar. Obviously, he's giving her a chance due to her disadvantage. "Growl!"

Chimchar growls, breaking Cranidos' concentration. "Rock Throw."

"Dodge it!"  
Chimchar jumps on the rocks, but not before one hits him square in the face. We all gasp as Chimchar is hit with the super effective move. Chimchar is lying on the ground with his eyes closed. "Chimchar is unable to battle! Cranidos wins the…"

Chimchar glows white. I gasp. I've seen it before. Chimchar stands up and changes shape. He becomes taller and his arms grow longer, much like his tail. The glow fades. "Monferno!" he shouts. Monferno glare at Cranidos. Dawn smiles. She just got a chance to win. "Monferno use Mach Punch!"

Monferno dashes forward and punches Cranidos faster than the eye could see. Dawn smiles as the match shifts into her favor. ' _She's so cute when she does that!_ '

I immediately blush. ' _Stop it, Chris!_ '

Monferno makes short work of Cranidos with his type advantage. Dawn receives her Coal Badge and we leave the gym. Dawn and Barry walk up ahead as Roark grabs my shoulder. "Hey, Chris."

I turn around. "Yeah?"

"I need you to do something for me."

I nod. "Alright."

"When you reach my father, tell him this."

He whispers in my ear. I make a mental note. "Alright. Will do."

Roark smiles. "Thanks. I don't have the time to go and speak with him a lot."

"Don't mention it."

Roark goes back into the gym. I turn around and run to the Pokémon Center with the rest of the team.


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6: The Road to Eterna City

It took us three days to make the return to Jubilife City from Oreburgh. We thought a lot about our nightmares on the way back. Dawn and I feel like we're missing a bit. Dawn can only remember the nightmare, while I feel like something is missing. I throw the thought aside as we reach the route leading north, which is the way to Eterna City. It'll take us about 3 days to reach our next stop, which is Floaroma Town. The Valley Windworks is there as well as a Pokémon Contest. Dawn wanted to try it out, as did I. Barry completely focused on saving the world at this point. I stretch as we reach a cave. When we walk in, Dawn yawns. "I'm getting a bit tired."

"But it's only noon."

"I didn't get the most restful sleep last night."

" _We can't stop Dawn,_ " Mesprit says, worried about falling behind. " _We have a time limit. You heard the Professor, we need to move faster._ "

I sigh. I hate it when they're right. I am surprised when Dawn leans into me. Due to the rather unexpected weight, I fall over. Dawn comes crashing down on top of me. "Hey! Why did you fall?!" she yells.

"Why did you lean on me?"

She sighs. "I'm really tired."

"Alright. Once we make it through the cave, we'll set up camp early."

She lights up. "Okay."

After we set up camp, I look in my bag for food. I sigh when we only have two energy bars left. "We're going to die of starvation before we even get to Floaroma Town," I tell Barry.

Our stomachs grumble. All three of us look at the pokémon as they eat. Barry is more energetic and Dawn's a girl, so I decide to give them up. I sigh and give one bar to Barry and one bar to Dawn. I hold my stomach and lie down hungry. "You guys don't look too good," I hear a familiar masculine voice say.

I turn around to see Roark walking out of the cave in traveling clothes. "Do you guys know how to cook?"

I look around and see Dawn and Barry. They're shaking their heads. I sigh and shake my head as well. "That's a pretty important skill you need out here."

"Mom didn't teach me much. I know how to make a few things but I need a kitchen to be able to though."

Roark sits down in our group. "All right. It's settled then. I'm traveling with you from now on."

All of our jaws drop. "But you're a Gym Leader!"

"I have other people to run the gym. I was actually traveling to find you guys to offer, but I guess I have to now."

I smile. "That'd be great. Thank you Roark."

"Yeah," Dawn says. "Thanks."

Barry smiles and nods as he chews on his energy bar. Roark smiles. "No problem."

He makes us some lunch with the camping equipment he brought. An hour later, we're all lying in the grass and looking into the evening sky. The sky shifts from a soothing blue to a vivid orange. As we watch the sunset, I hear Dawn's light breathing. I turn around to see her asleep. I cover her with her sleeping bag to keep her from getting cold. I yawn and head to my sleeping bag myself. I lay down as Piplup sleeps beside me. "Night, Piplup,"

"Piplup," she replies.

"Night, Chris," Roark says.

I am about to reply, but I'm cut off by sleep.

I have no dreams that night. I wake up to the smell of breakfast. I sit up to see Dawn and Roark cooking. Well, mostly Roark telling Dawn what to do. When Dawn finishes "cooking," we start eating Oran Berry pancakes. Barry, Roark, and I take a bite as Dawn looks at us expectantly. The taste is better than I expected. Way better. We all must've thought that because Dawn look down. "It's bad, isn't it?"

We shake our heads. "Far from it!" I say.

"You haven't cooked at _all_ before?" Roark asks.

"This is AMAZING!" Barry yells.

Dawn smiles. "Really!"

Roark smiles. "Just follow the recipe and it might be good or bad. It happened to be really good. You've got some talent."

"Thanks!"

A few hours later, we're on the path, when… "Dammit!" a woman says.

We all run to the woman, who is being taunted by a Pachirisu. "Pachi, pachi, pachi!"

"Get back here, you little…!"

She stops talking when she sees us. "Sorry for swearing!"

I smile. "It's okay."

I look at the situation. "Is that your Pachirisu?"  
I point at the hopping Ele-Squirrel Pokémon. "No. I was trying to catch her, but she broke all of my pokéballs."

I close my eyes when I hear Dawn running to the pokémon. When she gets close to her, Pachirisu giggles and runs up a tree. "Pachirisu! Do you want to join our team?"

"Pachirisu!" she says, running down the tree.

Dawn throws a ball at Pachirisu, but it breaks out immediately. "Pachi!"

"You'll have to battle it first, Dawn."

She nods. "Monferno, go!"

Monferno runs forward and raises his arms. "Mach Punch!"

Monferno dashes forward, but Pachirisu swiftly dodges. She swipes her tail at Monferno, using Swift. The stars from the attack all hit Monferno. "Flamethrower!"

"Mon-Fern!"  
Monferno breathes fire, hitting the shocked Pachirisu. As Pachirisu rubs her eyes, Dawn throws a pokéball at her. She gets sucked in. The ball shakes once. Twice. Thrice. It stops shaking and dings. Dawn throws her fist in the air. "I caught Pachirisu!"

She picks up the pokéball, shrinks it, and puts it in the bag with the rest of her pokéballs. Monferno cheers happily. We keep walking towards the next town for a few more hours before we stop for the day.

We arrive in Floaroma Town around 1:00 in the afternoon the next day. We all head to the Pokémon Center to heal up our pokémon before walking around. As we look around town, we notice a field of flowers and a path leading into a forest. "You guys want to go into the forest and take a look around?" I ask the rest of the group.

Roark nods. "I'm down."

Dawn lights up. "Yeah!"

Barry pulls out his Pokédex. "I wonder if there are any new pokémon there?"

I shrug. "I guess we'll find out."

As we reach the entrance of the forest, I immediately feel something. I put my arms to the side, stopping the rest. "Something's not right. It feels sinister…"

Barry chuckles. "Yeah right. It _feels_? You're not some character in a TV show."

"I know, but I don't like it."  
"Even if you are feeling something, how can you tell?"

"I don't know why I feel something, but it just feels _wrong._ "

"Alright," he says.

We walk in, but Roark and I stay on guard. I gasp and pull Dawn back. A man grabs where Dawn would've been. Barry eyes me weirdly. "How did you…?"  
"I don't know," I say, quietly.

The man growls at us. My eyes go wide when I see his uniform. "Team Galactic!"

He chuckles. "So you've heard of us," he says.

"I've done more than just hear of you. I've fought you before and won."

He laughs. "Not possible."

"Piplup, get ready!"

The man's eyes go wide. "A Piplup?" he says, starting to shake.

He observes me. "A young man with a blue jacket, a Piplup, a Pokédex. A girl with back hair, a blue coat, and a Chimchar. A young blonde with a green scarf, a orange-striped shirt, and a Turtwig. Uh oh…"

He turns and runs away in fear. "Use Bubblebeam to block his path!"

"Piplup! Pip!"

Piplup fire bubbles in front of the Team Galactic Grunt. He stops and turns around. He puts his arms in the air. "I surrender!"

I smirk when I see a man in a brown trenchcoat in the foliage. "Keep an eye on the grunt," I tell Dawn.

She nods and I walk into the trees. I go behind the man and tap his shoulder. He jumps around. "Amazing," he says. "You found me."

"Yeah. You made a lot of noi…"

"You must be a really good detective in order to find me. I am… I can't tell you my name. My codename is Looker. I am trying to bring down the evil organization that calls themselves Team Galactic!"

Looker looks back at the others. "I am going to make myself known to you four, but you cannot tell anyone about me. It may blow my cover."

I nod as Looker walks onto the path. He looks at the grunt. "Team Galactic Grunt!"

"My name is Harry…" the grunt says.

"You shall come with me for questioning! I am Looker, a detective from the International Police."

Harry walks forward. "I'll go with you. I was planning on defecting sooner or later."

"What is your full name?"

"Harold B. Jameson."

Looker squints at him. "You were a member of Team Rocket and Team Aqua in the past, right?"

Harry sighs. "Yes."

"You are very notorious for joining criminal organizations. Your luck had to run out eventually."

Harry turns to me and hands me a key. "This is the key to Valley Windworks. That is our next target."

"Why are you telling me this?"

"Because I can. We are gathering energy to use for the creation of two things. The…"

He is cut short when we hear a loud bang followed by blood flowing out of Harry's neck and down his uniform. The crimson starts to stain the green grass by our feet. Dawn is staring wide-eyed, covering her mouth as Harry grows limp and falls to the ground. I look at Looker and Barry, who were on either side of him, restraining him just in case. Blood covers both of their upper bodies. Barry's mouth is gaping open as Harry's blood drips down his face. Looker's face and trenchcoat are splattered with crimson as well. "Oh god…" Dawn says, holding back tears.

I turn Dawn away. "Are you okay?"

She closes her eyes. "Yes."

Looker is talking to somebody with a device on his wrist. Barry is still frozen in fear. Looker hangs up. "Stay here," he says, walking away.

He wipes the blood off of his face and takes off his trenchcoat. I put the key in my bag. Barry comes out of his shock, screaming. He doesn't stop. I walk over a slap him. When he gets up, he glares at me. "Why did you do that?!"

"SHUT UP! Do you want to draw people here?"

"Hey guys, calm down," Roark says lightly.

Beside us, Dawn screams. I turn to see her being restrained by a Team Galactic Grunt with a pistol aimed at Dawn's head. "GIve us your pokémon or she dies."

I unclip my belt, dropping it along with my pokéballs."  
Piplup steps up. "Stand down, Piplup."

Dawn's eyes tear up. She shakes her head lightly. "Chris…" Roark says. "Why did you give up? You can…"

I glare at him to make him shut up. He puts his pokéballs on the ground along with Barry. The grunt smiles. She looks at Dawn's bag. "Mon!"

Monferno jumps on the grunt. "Piplup, Bubblebeam!"

Piplup fires bubbles at the grunt. The woman is knocked to the ground. She aims the gun at me and pulls the trigger. Nothing happens. We all stare at her. She looks at the gun in frustration. "Dammit! Fucking fire!"

She pulls the trigger again. Roark walks forward and pulls the gun out of her hands. He looks at it as the grunt shakes in fear. Roark starts laughing. "The safety's on," he says through laughs.

Dawn looks at Monferno, who nods. I look at Piplup. "Pip!" she says.

I hear Uxie growl in my head. " _What?_ " I ask mentally.

" _I hate Team Galactic. She's the one who killed him._ "

Uxie, Mesprit, and Azelf come out of their pokéballs and glare at the grunt filled with hate. They all lift up the grunt, who yells in pain. "What are you doing?!" Dawn and I yell.

" _She deserves this!_ " The three say in unison.

"Stop it!"

" _Either way, she's seen us._ "

"Piplup, use Bubblebeam on the Legendary Pokémon!"

Piplup looks at me in shock. "Do it!"

"Pip! Piplup!" she yells shaking her head.

I feel tears running down my face. I pick up Uxie's pokéball. "Return!"

The red beam flies to Uxie, but a barrier blocks it. I growl. "Return!"

I keep trying to return Uxie. The grunt is getting weaker. She's not struggling against the overwhelming psychic force. I yell and lose consciousness.

[Dawn's POV]

I watch as Chris yells and _changes…_ He glows an azure light and puts his arms up. The Legendaries are enveloped in the azure light. "STOP HURTING HER!" he shouts.

I hear Looker running to us. "What's going on?!"

I'm too shocked at what I'm seeing to say anything. Uxie, Mesprit, and Azelf calm down and fall to the ground. The grunt falls to the ground and grows limp. Chris takes deep breaths and falls to the ground. I gasp and run to Chris. "Chris!"

I lean my head by his chest. I hear a heartbeat. I start crying as I hold his unconscious body close. Looker checks if the grunt is still alive, but I don't care. I don't want anything bad to happen to Chris. I look at Roark, Barry, and Looker. "Don't tell him about that."

Roark nods. "I can't explain something I don't know about."

Barry agrees. Looker puts a hand on my shoulder. "I know what that was, but you three have to promise me something if you want to know."

We nod. "You can't tell Chris until he understands what power he has."

We all nod and Looker explains everything to us.

[Chris' POV]

I wake up in Dawn's arms. She is crying into my shoulder. "How long was I out?"

Dawn gasps and lets me go. I fall to the ground. "Ow!" I say, annoyed.

"Sorry, you just surprised me."

I smile. "It's fine. I'm alright."

I try and recall the situation. "What happened?"

Dawn looks at the others, then back at me. "Another grunt came and knocked you out, but Looker took the grunts away when some other people showed up from the International Police."

I nod. "Okay."

I stand up and brush the dirt off my clothes. "How about we get to the Pokémon Center?"

Dawn nods. Roark and Barry yawn as they start walking out of the forest. The blood was wiped off of Barry, so no one will suspect anything. As we walk into town, I thought I saw Dawn looking down, as if she were hiding something from me.


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7: Contest Time!

I wake up in the Pokémon Center. I look at the clock. It's about 9. Piplup is still at the bottom of the bed, curled up in some of the blanket. I walk to the bathroom. When I grab my toothbrush, I hear the shower start next door. ' _Dawn's up._ '

The sound of a pokéball opening startles me as I reach for the toothpaste. " _Everyone's up actually,_ " Uxie says.

Uxie floats to the bathroom, half happy, half annoyed. "Is something wrong, Uxie?"

She sighs. " _Nothing. Just some troubling thoughts._ "

" _You can tell me,_ " I say telepathically as I start brushing my teeth.

" _I can't tell you. It's about yesterday and what we did. I was consumed with rage._ "

" _I thought you couldn't tell me._ "

" _This isn't what's worrying me. I'm just telling you something you have to remember._ "

Uxie opens her eyes, which is something she does very rarely. " _When all three of us are together, Mesprit and Azelf, we start sharing each other's powers. You know I'm the Knowledge Pokémon. When I'm near the other two, the power starts overflowing into the two. It's weaker, but still very powerful. Mesprit was angered when the grunt who surrendered was killed, which leaked into Azelf and I. That's why I attacked that woman. If it weren't for you, we would've killed her._ "

I spit out the toothpaste in my mouth as I ponder what Uxie told me. Uxie flies in front of me and looks into my eyes. She smiles. " _You know I'm a Psychic type, right?_ "

"What does that have anything to do with this?"

" _I can see your thoughts. You like Dawn, don't you?_ "

I spit out the water in my mouth. " _NO!_ "

Uxie laughs. " _You can't lie to me, I know if you are! You want to tell her, but you don't know if she thinks about you the same way. If you want me to, I could… you know._ "

" _That's cheating! I want to find out normally._ "

Uxie laughs. " _What if I told you that it's a mystery to me, too. I've never read her mind._ "

I put my toothbrush and toothpaste in my bag and get dressed. Piplup gets up as I'm putting my hat on my dark blue hair. "Pip?"

"It's contest day, Piplup. Dawn and I are competing."

She jumps up and says her name proudly. Uxie hovers in front of her and looks into her eyes. She smiles at Piplup when she nods. " _Chris, Piplup agrees with me on the fact you obviously like Dawn!_ "

My face immediately goes red. " _It's true, but it doesn't mean I want to tell her right now!_ "

Uxie laughs for what seems like the thousandth time today. " _Oh, Chris. Even if I wasn't a psychic, I can still read you like a book. Piplup figured it out and she's a Water type._ "

I roll my eyes at my two pokémon. "Return," I say, grabbing Uxie's pokéball.

She returns to her pokéball in a beam of red light. I walk out of the room and run into Dawn, who was waiting in front of my door. We fall to the floor and look at each other. Both of our faces go red. "What were you doing in front of my door?"

"Uhh… Nothing."

I look away. "You can tell me."

Dawn gets up and brushes her skirt down. "I was waiting for you. The contest is today, so I wanted to make sure we get there in time."

Barry runs to us. "Roark has breakfast ready, so get down before it's all gone or I'll fine you two."

I get up and pick up Piplup as Barry runs back down the hall. Dawn and I speed walk down the hall to avoid waking anybody. "Dawn, I never got to thank you for making sure I was okay yesterday. So, uh, thank you."

She blushes. "It's nothing."

"No, really. I don't know what happened, but it must've been bad. Thank you."

She slows down and looks down. "Piplup…" Piplup says quietly.

Ralts is sitting on Dawn's shoulder. "Are you okay, Dawn?" I ask.

She doesn't answer. "What's wrong, Dawn?"

No answer. "Are you hiding something from me?"

She looks away. "Just go to breakfast without me," she says, fighting back tears.

I wait for a minute before walking to the cafeteria. When I sit down, Roark notices Dawn's missing. "Where's Dawn?" he asks.

"I thanked her for what happened yesterday, then she just… locked up or something. She told me to come here without her."

Roark and Barry look at each other then back at me. Roark gives me some food. As I eat, I notice Dawn get some food and sit at a different table than the rest of us. Ralts teleports to where the pokémon are eating. As I eat my food, I watch Dawn. Her expression is dark, like she's been through hell and back. I sigh. " _Hey, Chris,_ " Uxie says. " _Are you okay? You aren't as… energetic._ "

I continue eating. " _Well, Dawn's acting really strange right now. I don't know what's happening, but I believe those three are hiding something from me._ "

Uxie grows silent. " _Not you, too,_ " I groan.

" _I'm sorry, but this is for your own good. Amnesia!_ "

I feel thoughts leave my head. I look around Dawn is smiling as Ralts, Monferno, and Pachirisu eat their food.

[1 Hour Later, Floaroma Town Contest Hall]

As we walk into the hall, I immediately notice someone standing at the desk talking to a woman. I run and throw my arms around my mom. "Mom!"

Mom jolts in surprise. "Chris? When did you get here?"

"All four of us got here yesterday."

She smiles as she turns around and puts her arms around me. "It's so good to see you Chris."

She immediately notices Barry. "Your mom says hi, Barry."

Barry blushes and she eyes Dawn. "You must be Dawn, then!"

"Yup," she says. "The one and only Dawn Berlitz!"

Dawn blushes at the attention brought to her. When Mom sees Roark she thinks for a moment. "I don't recognize you."

Roark groans, then puts out his hand. "Roark," he says sadly. "Oreburgh City Gym Leader…"

Mom's mouth gapes open. "A Gym Leader?"

He lights up. "Yep, the one and only Rock type leader."

Mom looks him over. "I wouldn't have guess _you_ were a Gym Leader. You're far too young!"

Roark blushes. "Gee, thanks."

"By the way, my name's Johanna Moore."

As they talk, I sigh. Dawn walks over to me. "Your last name's Moore?"

"Yeah," I groan. "It sounds pretty stupid, I know."

"It's a nice name. Definitely better than Berlitz."

She sneaks her hand into mine, making me blush. Dawn smiles as I look back at her. When my mom turns to me, she lets go. "Alright. I was going to give you these later, but I got you a tuxedo and a dress!"

She hands me a fancy tuxedo and hands Dawn a pink dress. "How did you know what to get me?" Dawn asks.

"I ran into your Dad on the way down here and asked you for your clothes size. I got you a size bigger just in case. You never know with girls."

She smiles. "That's so thoughtful of you, Johanna."

Dawn runs to the dress up room to get dressed. I head to the male's side to change into my tuxedo. It fits perfectly. I let out Staravia to show him. "How does it look?"

"Staravia," he says nodding.

Staravia flies just above me as I step out of the dressing room. I look around for Dawn, but can't find her. She must still be changing. I walk to my mom and Roark, who are still talking to each other. They catch sight of me and turn. They gasp in awe. "You look so good," Roark says.

"There's my handsome boy!" Mom says.

"Where's Barry?"

"He went outside to train."

Roark suddenly gasps as he looks further behind me. Mom's mouth gapes open. I turn around to see Dawn walking towards us in a strapless, flowing, pink gown, which highlights her slate-grey hair and eyes. The dress has no sleeves, so her arms are completely exposed. Her shoulder-length hair is let loose with the lack of her beanie. Her face is growing red due to the fact that everyone is watching her. Her eyes sparkle in the light of the room. "Y-y-you're beautiful…" I let out.

She turns away, embarrassed. "Don't say that!"

"I'm not lying. You look absolutely stunning."

Roark and Mom are left speechless. Dawn takes a deep breath, trying to calm down. "Piplup…" Piplup says slowly.

"So, do you want to start our contest?"

Dawn nods. Mom looks at the two of us. "I think you two should compete in a Partner Contest."

"Partner Contest?" I ask.

"Yeah, you have a teammate with you, so it gives you more possibilities to impress the judges and the Contest Battles are Double Battles."

I look at Dawn. "Do you want to?"

Dawn nods. "Yes, I'd like to."

We register our pokémon for a Partner Contest. We enter with Luxio and Monferno. As we are backstage waiting, I look out at the bleachers. The seats are lined with hundreds of people. I feel my heart exploding out of my chest as we wait. A man and a woman look at Dawn and I freaking out. "Is this your first contest?"  
We both nod. "That explains it. Are you two up next?"

"Yeah," I say.

"Don't worry. Just pretend the crowd isn't even there. Just focus on your pokémon."

They look at the pokéballs we're using. "No capsules?!"

"Capsules?"

"It's just the one thing that is necessary for contests."

They give us each a small canister. "These are Star Capsules. Attach them to your pokéball and when you throw it, watch what happens."

We each attach the capsule to our pokéballs. "Thanks."

We hear the announcer. "What an astounding finish by Luke and Natalie! Up next, Chris Moore and Dawn Berlitz!"

I look at Dawn and take her hand. We walk out into the theater. As we enter the spotlight, I can feel my heartbeat in my forehead. I am trying my best to remain calm, but with Dawn here, it isn't helping. As we reach the center of the stage, we let go of each other's hands. Dawn grabs Monferno's pokéball and I grab Luxio's. "Go Luxio, and use Shock Wave!"

I throw Luxio's pokéball as Dawn throws Monferno's. "Monferno, use Fire Spin!"

When Luxio appears, he fires a bolt of electricity forward. Monferno breathes fire in a spiral around the lightning. The fire lightning circles around the floor of the field. "Now use a combination of Quick Attack and Spark to jump through the rings of fire!" I tell Luxio.

"Use Flamethrower!" Dawn tells Monferno.

As Luxio generates electricity around itself and starts flipping through the ring, he sends sparks of electricity and fire flying everywhere, which come floating down in tiny sparks and embers.

Monferno uses Flamethrower to create a spiral into the air. "Now, Mach Punch!"

Monferno jumps up through the fire. When he reaches the tip of the spiral, he brings his fist up and punches downwards. The fire flies throughout the theater, landing safely in the ground beneath us. Dawn and I interlock our fingers and put our hands in the air, joined together by one hand. Luxio spirals through a ring, landing in front of us at the end of the attack. The judges and audience cheer for us as Luxio howls and uses Discharge. The lightning curves around us and Monferno uses Slash on the bolts of lightning, creating crackling sparkles that land on the ground all around us. The crowd goes wild as the sparkles fade around us. Dawn curtsies and I bow when we let go of each other's hands. "That was truly a splendid and fantastic show!" the announcer says.

"It was," a familiar, male voice above us says.

"I have to agree," a similar voice says.

Dawn and I look up to see two men jumping from the ceiling, doing a flip as they land feet-first on the ground. I instantly recognize the two men as both mine and Dawn's Pokétches radar app beeps. "Alright everyone," Trudly says. "Listen up!"

"We're here for one reason," Folly says. "That is your pokémon."  
"We've already taken the ones from backstage and I think that they are very, very powerful. I bet all of you have strong ones, too," another voice says.

[Song: Miror B. Battle]

Dawn and I turn around to see Miror B. walking out from backstage with a bag over his shoulder. "I see we meet again, Dawn and Chris."

"You again!" I shout.

"That's right! It is I, the fabulous Miror B.!"

Miror B. strikes a pose as he take out two pokéballs from his belt. When he throws them, two Ludicolo jump out. They jump and dance to the theme of the music. "Let the pokémon go!" Dawn yells. "They're not yours!"

Luxio and Monferno growl. "Luxio!" "Fern!"

They seem eager to fight. "Rain Dance!"

Both Ludicolo dance, summoning clouds that appear above the theater. The rain falls on the Ludicolo, making them faster. "Use Spark!"

"Enhance it with Fire Spin!"

Monferno breathes a spiral on fire around Luxio's Spark. "Flaming Spark!"

The attack hits the first Ludicolo hard. I see a screen appear with four green bars on two different sides. One side shows Miror B. and his Ludicolo. The other side shows Dawn and I with our pokémon. The green bar on the Ludicolo that was hit decreases drastically. The Ludicolo struggles to get up. Luxio jumps back to me. "Hydro Pump!"

The Ludicolo both suck in air and shoot giant blasts of water from their mouths. Luxio is hit, but Monferno quickly dodges the super effective attack. "Discharge."

Luxio jumps up and unleashes several bolts of electricity. Monferno looks at the ones coming towards him. "Use Swift to hit the lightning away from you!" Dawn yells.

Monferno swings his arms, creating stars that strike the lightning, dissipating it. One Ludicolo faints, but the other is mildly shocked. It start twitching. "It's paralysed!" the announcer says.

Ludicolo's bar turns yellow indicating the status condition. The rain fades as Miror B. retracts both Ludicolo. Miror B. smirks as he sends out one pokéball against two pokémon. "Go, Voltorb!"

A Voltorb appears, but it's eyes glow red for a second. "Bite," I say.

Luxio dashes forward, but as Luxio reaches Voltorb… "Shadow Panic!"

The Voltorb emanates a black aura and hits Luxio with a black mist that knocks it back. Luxio looks around with a wild look in it's eyes. It lunges forward and tries to bite Monferno. Monferno dodges however. "It's confused!"

The green bar turns white as Luxio starts lunging at Monferno. "Luxio, stop!"

Luxio ignores me and keeps attacking Monferno. I look at Miror B. "What's Shadow Panic?"

"It's a move only Shadow Pokémon can know. And before you ask, Shadow Pokémon are found in the Orre Region after they have been… altered… by Team Cipher. Now Shadow Rush!"

Voltorb dashes forward, hitting Luxio as hard as it can. Luxio flies back, nearly knocked out, as shown by the white bar. "Luxio!"

Luxio took massive damage from the attack. "Super effective," Miror B. says.

Luxio gets up and focuses on Voltorb. "Lux!"

It snapped out of its confusion. "Bite!"

"Shadow Rush!"

"Flamethrower!"

Voltorb charges forward as Luxio bites down on it and Monferno hits it with fire. Dust is thrown into the air when the pokémon clash. When the dust clears, a giant bolt of electricity crashes down on the battlefield. The Voltorb yells in pain as Thunder hits it. The dust disappears, showing Luxio covered in yellow sparks and a fainted Voltorb. The crowd cheers as Miror B. falls to the ground.

[Song End]

He growls and stands up. He returns Voltorb and drops the bag. "Have your pokémon!"

He looks at Trudly and Folly. "Retreat!"

As they run away, Miror B. looks back. "I'll get those Legendaries from you if it's the last thing I ever do!"

They disappear from sight, leaving the theater quiet. I see Roark and Mom running down to us. Mom hugs me. "Are you alright, sweetheart?"

"I'm fine, Mom."

Roark looks at the two of us. "It's alright. That was a spectacular show you put on for us. I'm looking forward to seeing more of that!"

I see a woman with big, black earrings and black clothes. She has long, blonde hair and grey eyes. They don't sparkle like Dawn's, but they share a similar color. "Hello, Chris and Dawn. My name is Cynthia."

My jaw drops. " _The_ Cynthia?!"

The Pokémon League Champion smiles and nods. "I was contacted by Professor Rowan and I need to talk to you two and Barry. Where is Barry?"

As if on queue, Barry faceplants on the ground next to Monferno, who sighs and helps Barry up. Roark smiles and waves at Cynthia. "Hello, Cynthia."

"Hello, Roark," she says.

"I'm traveling with these kids, so I should know what's going on."

Cynthia leans towards me and whispers, " _Does your mother know about Uxie, Mesprit, and Azelf?_ "

" _No._ "

She nods and turns to Mom. "I'm afraid you cannot overhear us."

I see one of the judges running our way with a case in his hand. "Dawn! Chris!"

He stop in front of us and hands us each a case along with a folded piece of fabric. Dawn and I unfold the fabric to see identical ribbons. "You two have won the Pokémon Contest!"

"What about the next round?"

"The judges have decided unanimously that it should be you two who should have the honor to receive these ribbons."

Dawn and I smile. "Thank you. Can you please give the other judges our thanks?"

He nods. "It would be my pleasure!"

Cynthia puts her hand on my shoulder. "Let's go."

I wave goodbye to the judge and walk outside with Cynthia, Roark, Barry, and Dawn.

The five of us meet behind the Contest Hall. "Alright, are you four ready for the news?"

We all nod. "I have good news and bad news."

"Say the bad news first."

"Alright. This came from Looker. The Team Galactic Grunt that attacked you four escaped."  
My eyes go wide. "What?!"

Cynthia nods sadly. "I'm afraid that their whereabouts are unknown."

"How about the good news?" Dawn asks.

"Alright. I'm afraid I have no good news at the moment."

We all sigh. "Well, that's to be expected. We've had nothing but bad news lately. Team Galactic, deadlines, the world being destroyed," Barry says.

Roark nods sadly. "I guess we should get to the Pokémon Center before it gets too late," he says.

We all agree and head to the Pokémon Center. I lie awake in bed. "Piplup?" Piplup asks.

"You're awake, too?"

She waddles up to me and lies next to me. "Pip."

I hear Uxie come out of her pokéball. " _Are things troubling you, Chris?_ "

" _Yeah._ "

Uxie sighs. " _I sorry. I think Team Galactic know we're with you._ "

I sit up. "What?" I say out loud.

" _They know I'm your pokémon. I need to be more careful when I show myself._ "

I sigh and lay down. " _I want to tell Dawn._ "

" _You are?_ " Uxie says excitedly. " _When?_ "

" _I was thinking in Eterna City._ "

Uxie smiles. " _I'm glad you're finally going to! I can't wait to see how she reacts._ "

" _I'm going to sleep now. Good night._ "

" _Night._ "

I close my eyes and rest my head on the pillow, slowly drifting off to sleep.


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter 8: Valley Windworks

In the morning, Barry, Dawn, Roark, and I continue on the trail to Eterna City, but stop when we see a worried little girl. Dawn walks over to the girl. "Are you okay?" she asks.

The girl looks at us with tears in her eyes. "Will you please help my daddy?"

Barry and I look at each other, then back at the girl. "Where is he?"

She points to building in the distance. There are wind turbines around the building. "He's in the Valley Windworks. Some strange people showed up in a truck and said no one can go in. My daddy and his friends at work haven't been back yet."

"Did you see these people?"

"Yeah. They were wearing space suits and had blue hair!"

I hear Dawn gasp. I start to growl. "Let's go!"

We all start running to factory. When we reach the front door, I see Team Galactic Grunts. "Piplup, Bubblebeam!"

Piplup fires bubbles at the grunts, but they run inside and lock the door. I look at Dawn and pull out the key Harry gave me. I unlock the door and look at Dawn. She lets out Pachirisu. "Monferno, open the air vent!" she says pointing at the vent a few feet away from the door.

Monferno pulls the vent open. "Pachirisu, crawl through the vent to the other side."

"You go too, Piplup."

Piplup and Pachirisu crawl into the vent. Ralts floats down from Dawn's shoulder, slightly glowing purple. Roark lets out Cranidos. "Let's go, Cranidos!"

Barry lets out Grotle. "All right! Let's go!"

I open the door and we rush in. The grunts surrender immediately. We continue through the building.

[Piplup's POV]

As Pachirisu glows to light the way, I look down through the holes in the vent. I see a woman with red hair commanding the grunts. She is also watching people in labcoats. I look at Pachirisu. "I found something," I whisper.

Pachirisu looks back and crawls to me, dimming her light. "What is it?"

I point to the woman. "I think she's the leader."

Pachirisu watches. "I think so, too."

"We should tell Chris and Dawn."

Pachirisu nods. "Alright."

We start to crawl when the vent creaks. The vent collapses, sending us crashing to the floor. When we recover, grunts are surrounding us. I get ready to fight, when the leader comes into view. She smirks. "I guess we have a couple of spies. Capture them!"

Pachirisu uses Discharge, shocking all the grunts and grabs my wing. "RUN!"

I run after her leaving Team Galactic behind.

[Chris' POV]

I hear a crash. "What was that?"

Dawn shrugs. "I don't know."

"Let's check it out," Barry says.

"Are you sure?" Roark says.

I nod. "Let's go."

We start running to the source of the sound and see Piplup and Pachirisu running down the hall. "Pip!"

"Pachi!"

Pachirisu jumps into Dawn's arms and Piplup jumps into mine. "What's wrong?"

"Pip piplup, lup, pip!"

My question is answered when several Team Galactic Grunts appear. The freeze in their tracks as I reach for Luxio's pokéball. "Go, Luxio!"

Luxio appears in front of us. "Use Spark!"

Luxio runs down the hall towards the now running grunts in an electrified run. We follow Luxio until the grunts stop. "Commander Mars!" one shouts and salutes, the others soon following suit.

"Shut up! That's no excuse to be retreating!"

"It was these ki-!"

She slaps the grunt to the ground. "Did I tell you to speak?!"

She looks at us. "I guess those two pests belong to you. Now, who exactly are you and why are you here?!"

I pull my hat over my eyes and smirk. "We're here to stop Team Galactic!"

Dawn smiles and joins me. "Yeah!"

Barry and Grotle take a step towards them. Roark and Cranidos look at the army of grunts. "We can take you on!"

Mars laughs. "You idiots. You think you can stop us?!"

I stop smiling and reach for Uxie's pokéball. " _NO!_ "

I freeze and look back at Team Galactic. "I challenge you to a battle Mars."

She chuckles. "Alright. I know you don't stand a chance, so go ahead!"

"If I win, Team Galactic leaves Valley Windworks and lets the scientists go."

"Alright."

The grunts seem a little frightened at her agreement. "Are you sure? This child can take all of us on at once and win easily!"

She glares at him. "I'm stronger than all of you combined, so go watch the scientists."  
I look at Luxio. "You ready, buddy?"

"Lux," he says, nodding.

[Song: Team Galactic Commander Battle]

Mars throws a pokéball, sending out a Zubat. "Use Discharge!"

Luxio sends bolts of electricity towards the Poison/Flying type. "Dodge it and use Toxic!"

Zubat weaves through the bolts and breathes out a stream of poison. The attack hits Luxio, throwing his down as the incredibly strong poison saps away his energy. "Oh no! Use Bite!"

Luxio get to his feet and dashes forward looking his jaw on Zubat's wing. Zubat shrieks in pain as Luxio pulls him to the ground. Luxio closes his eyes in pain as the poison affects him again. "Get out of his mouth, Zubat!"

As Zubat flaps his other wing frantically to escape, I smirk. "Shock Wave."

The wave of electricity hits Zubat at point blank range, immediately knocking him out. Luxio lets go of Zubat, letting him drop to the ground. Luxio howls in pain as he drops to the ground, also knocked out. Mars' mouth is gaping at the scene before her. We return our pokémon. I throw Staravia's pokéball. Staravia appears, flying in the air. "Staravia!" he says, proudly.

Mars throws another pokéball, sending out Purugly. Before I can tell Staravia a command, Mars says, "Fake Out!"

Purugly dashes forward and hits Staravia, making it flinch. "Use Faint Attack," she says.

As Purugly dashes forward to make a second attack, "Aerial Ace!"

Staravia flies into the air and focuses on his target. He flies directly at Purugly and they clash for power. Staravia's white aura is pushed back by Purugly's dark aura, along with Staravia. Staravia crashes to the ground. "Are you okay?"

Staravia jumps up. "Star!"

"Quick Attack!"

Staravia dashes forward faster than I can see. As he gets close, "Aerial Ace!"

Staravia hits Purugly with the high-speed Aerial Ace, sending it flying back at Mars. It lands on Mars faster that she can react. "Get off of me!"

Purugly runs off of the fallen Mars and back at Staravia. "Scratch!"

I smirk. When she gets close. "Use Quick Attack to dodge and use Double Team!"

Staravia dashes away from his foe and creates a dozen images of himself. Purugly looks around frantically for the real Staravia. "High-Speed Aerial Ace!"

All of the Staravia clones fly forward and disappear as Staravia hits his opponent, throwing it against the wall. Purugly is knocked out, meaning I win. Mars stares at me in disbelief. She drops to her knees. "How? How was a beaten by a mere child?" she asks quietly.

Staravia perches on my shoulder as I walk forward. I feel complete rage burning through me. "Leave," I say sternly.

All the members of Team Galactic in front of gasp at me and run away. I look at them in rage as they run. Before Mars has a chance to run, I grab her arm. "You stay here. You're going to pay for what you did."

I feel something sinister take me over.

[Dawn's POV]

Chris reaches his azure arm back. "You're going to be in a world of pain!" Chris yells.

I run forward. "Pachirisu, Discharge!"

Pachirisu attempts to shock Chris, but an azure barrier stop the bolts from reaching him. I run forward and grab his arm before he swings it at Mars. "Stop! Stop this Chris! Stop using your Aura!"

I am pushed back by a blinding, blue light. I rub my eyes to see Chris standing over me. He has a smirk on his face. His glowing eyes illuminating his face a sinister blue. "I'll kill you first," he says.

I shake in fear, when bubbles hit his side. "Pip! Lup!"

Chris looks at the group, but before I can move, he picks me up by grabbing my jacket. I squeeze the hand near my neck to stop him, but azure light envelops my entire body. I feel pain all over. I scream in pain as tremendous amounts of his Aura enter my body, more than my body can handle. I lose consciousness.

[Barry's POV]

Dawn goes limp in Chris' hand as Aura glows around them both. I see Mars watching in fear as Chris drops her to the floor. His Aura is completely surrounding him and is shining out of his eyes. He reaches for me as blood from his eyes starts running down his face. I shake in fear and back up. "Grotle, Vine Whip!"

Grotle throws two vines around Chris, but they burn and fade away instantly. A man and a Lucario climb in the open window. "I could feel his Aura from Celadon City. I'm here to stop him," he says.

"Lucar!"

Chris turns towards the two and lunges for them, but an Aura barrier stops him. The man takes a black staff and presses a button on it. The azure light emanating from Chris starts being sucked into the head of the staff, which is now open. "I won't let you take this power!" Chris yells desperately punching the barrier.

Chris' movements start to slow and he drops to one knee, then two. He falls to the ground, unconscious. The head of the staff closes and the man puts it back behind his cape. He drops the Aura barrier and walks over to Dawn. He checks for her pulse and sighs. "She's barely alive, but the excess Aura will fade. I'll call the Pokémon Center when I leave."

He turns and walks to me and Roark, who are still shocked. He puts his hand out for me to shake. "My name is Riley," he says.

I take his hand and shake it. "Barry. Thanks for saving us."

Riley lets go of my hand. "No problem."

Roark walks over to check on Chris and Dawn. Lucario is helping him. "You can use Aura too?" I ask Riley.

He nods. "Yeah. Everyone has Aura, but some humans have enough Aura that they can control it."

I look around. "Where's Mars?"

Riley looks around. Mars is gone. "I guess she used the distraction to escape."

I hear Chris groan and Riley looks at me. "We have to go. Don't tell Chris or Dawn about me. We will meet again. I can answer any questions then."

Riley looks at Lucario, then they both climb out the window.

[Chris' POV]

I hold my head as I sit up. "My head…" I groan.

My eyes are burning, so everything's blurry. I blink and rub my eyes several times, but to no avail. "Damn it."

I see one of the blobs come to me. "Are you okay?" Barry asks.

"My eyes hurt. I can't see anything."

He sighs. "Just keep your eyes closed then."

I close my eyes. He takes my hand. "Just hold my hand until you can see."

I nod and stand up, albeit wobbly. "Where's Dawn?"  
Barry doesn't answer. I hear sirens outside. "Barry, what happened?"

Still no answer. "Tell me!" I yell angrily.

"He can't tell you," Roark says. "I'm sorry, Chris."

I feel rage welling up inside me again. "TELL ME WHAT THE FUCK IS GOING ON!"

I hear the sound of a Pokéball opening. "Cran?"

"Cranidos, knock him out before it happens again."

I feel Cranidos headbutt me before I lose consciousness again.


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter 9: Remorse

[Two Days Later]

I wake up in the Pokémon Center. I look around. My head really hurts. "What happened?"

I try to remember what happened, but can't remember a single thing. I sigh and sit up. I look at the clock. It's around 10 pm, shown from the darkness outside. I'm still wearing my usual clothes. I get out of the bed and walk to the door. I see my pokéballs on the table near the door. I fasten the pokéballs to my belt. When I walk out, I see Piplup sleeping in a chair. Barry is down the hall talking to Roark and Officer Jenny. I feel dread loom over me as I walk towards them. When they see me, they take a step back as if they're scared of me. I see utter terror in both of their eyes. I back up. "What's wrong?"

Barry turns around. "I don't have anything to say to you."

I see a few Chansey along with another Nurse Joy through the window the three of them are standing by. I walk to the window, but what I see scares me more than how my two friends were acting. I see Dawn. She's in massive pain. "They're trying their best to keep her alive. We won't be completely safe until the doctors from Hearthome City get here," Nurse Joy says.

I turn around and see Barry staring at me with all of his malice. " _You_ did this," he says.

My eyes widen as I take in his words. "That's not possible."

Roark turns to Barry. "You weren't supposed to-"

"I can't live with myself not knowing that Chris doesn't know what he's done!"

I drop to my knees. "No," I say weakly. "I-I'd never h-hurt her. I-I-I w-would never hurt D-Dawn…"

I feel some tears run down my face. "You're lying!" I yell.

"Get out of here!" Barry yells. "Take your pokémon and LEAVE!"

I start crying as I run off, grabbing Piplup as I run past her. "PIP?"

I ignore Piplup as I run out the door. I feel rain hitting my back. I run past the flower field. I run away from my friends, away from the one I love, away from everything I ever loved and knew. As I reach the woods, I look around frantically as I run past the pokémon, who watch me as I run by. I trip over a tree root and slide down a hillside. I don't get up. I just lay there, my pain finally reaching me. I lay my head on the ground as I break down.

[One Week Later, Dawn's POV]

I wake up in a Pokémon Center room. I sit up and look around. Ralts and Monferno and sleeping on the chairs. It's morning. I sit on the edge of the bed and stand up. I grab the bed to support myself as I get used to standing up. I remember Chris at the Valley Windworks. I remember his Aura being forced into my body. "Why did you do that Chris?"

I think about all the fun we've had together. I tear up as I think about him. A pokéball opens and Mesprit floats in front of me. " _You're better._ "

I smile and hug the Legendary Pokémon. "I'm alright."

" _Are you sure?_ "

I nod. "Yeah. Are the others outside?"

" _They're in the cafeteria._ "

"Thank you."

I put on some clothes in replace of my hospital gown and return Mesprit. Ralts is on my shoulder, happy that I'm okay. Monferno walks beside me in a similar mood. I walk into the cafeteria and see Roark, Barry, and their pokémon. They gasp as they notice me, but I look around. ' _Where's Chris?!_ '

Barry runs to me and hugs me. "I'm glad you're awake!"

I hug him back, but still look for Chris. When Barry lets go, Roark notices my expression. "Dawn? Are you okay?"

"Where's Chris?"

Barry walks away from me and sits down silently. "Don't say that name."

Roark looks at me. "He ran away."

"When?!"

"A week ago. We haven't seen…"

He looks at Barry, who glares at him. " _Him_ since."

My heart feels as if it has shattered into a million pieces. I feel weak. I drop to my knees and tear up. "Dawn?" Roark asks, concerned.

Barry walks over. "It was you, wasn't it?" I ask him.

"I was trying to protect you…"

I stand up and push him to the ground. "I loved him!"

Barry's eyes widen as I run to the door, tears running down my face. I run past the meadow and stop at the edge of the woods. I walk through the foliage until I reach a cliff. I look down. I can't see the bottom. I smile and grab my pokéballs. I throw them behind me, letting out all of my pokémon. They look at me as I turn around. I smile with tears in my eyes. "I'm releasing all of you. Just go."

Mesprit and Ralts gasp and run forward. " _Don't do it, Dawn!_ " Mesprit says.

I close my eyes. "I love you all."

" _I know how you feel about him, but this is too extreme!_ " Ralts says.

Mesprit nods. " _Ralts is right!_ "

I ignore the two. "Goodbye."

I take a step back and fall off the edge. As I fall, I think about my journey, but Chris fills my mind. "I love you, Chris," I whisper as I hit the ground.

I lay for a second. ' _Why aren't I dead?_ '

I see Mesprit floating down, who sighs in relief. " _Good. I saved you._ "

"Why? Why did you save me?"

" _You can't kill yourself over a silly matter such as this._ "

"'Silly matter?!'"

I stand up. "I'll have you know Chris means the world to me and if I'm not with him, I might as well be gone."

" _That's a horrible reason!_ "

I sigh. "You don't get it. Chris and I are like Dialga and Palkia. If we're not together in this world, things aren't right."

" _I personally know those two and they hate each other._ "

"Shut up."

I hear rustling in the trees and Mesprit looks around. " _I thought I just sensed…_ "

A pokémon appears in front of us. " _Uxie!_ "

" _Mesprit?! Dawn?!_ "

They talk to each other in pokémon. Mesprit turns to me. " _Follow Uxie._ "

I nod and start after the Legendary Pokémon. After a few minutes, we come to a stop at a cave. I see a pokémon generating light and a figure lying on the cave floor. I walk in and see Chris bleeding from his chest. The floor around him is layered with thick, red blood. I gasp and embrace him. He gasps in pain. "D-Da-Dawn?"

"It's me Chris. I'm here for you."

"Get away from me. I could hurt you again."

I hug him closer. "It wasn't your fault. Don't blame yourself. Now, what happened?"

"A couple of Beedrill attacked me."

I look at the two Legendaries. "Can you teleport us back to Floaroma Town?"

They nod and hold up their arms. We are enveloped in a purple light, which is accompanied by a bright flash. When the light fades, I have my pokéballs on me and we are in front of the Pokémon Center. I walk in holding the now unconscious Chris in my arms. I run to Nurse Joy, who gasps at the sight. He is taken into the Emergency Care Center and operations begin immediately. I watch through the window as Chris is examined and taken care of by the doctors.

[The Next Day]

I wake up in Chris' operation room. His breathing is slow, but at least he'll make it. I look at his face. His dark blue hair has gotten longer. It is starting to cover his eyes. I lean my face to his cheek. I kiss him on the cheek. I am about to actually kiss him when I see his eyes open. I lean back and watch as he sits up. "Are you okay?" I ask.

He shakes his head. "I feel like crap."

I start crying. "Don't do that to me ever again. If you run away and blame yourself for my pain, I won't be able to live with myself."

He embraces me. "I have something to tell you."

My eyes go wide as tears continue to fall down my face. "What is it?"

"I really like you. I wanted to tell you later, but I needed to say it now."

I start bawling loudly. "Dawn?"

"I like you, too!" I say through sobs.

I hug him back and kiss him on the cheek. His eyes go wide as I release the kiss. I see the wall in front of us is being illuminated by white. I turn around and see Ralts enveloped in a white light. Her horns shift to the sides of her head, she grows about a foot taller, and her clothes-like skin change into the shape of a tutu. The light fades and Kirlia smiles. " _I was wondering when you would tell him,_ " she says.

Kirlia smiles and jumps onto my shoulder from the floor. Chris lies down to rest. I blow him a kiss and walk out the door with the pokémon.

[Sinnoh Region, Mars' POV]

I run down the halls to _his_ office. I open the door and immediately lay my eyes on the boss. His figure is hidden in the shadows. "Commander Mars, I have received word that you lost control in Floaroma Town due to a child. Is this true?"

I hesitate to answer. "Well?" he urges, obviously annoyed.

"Yes, sir," I say quickly. "I lost to a child."

The boss chuckles as he steps out of the shadows. "Nothing has made me laugh in a long while. I should congratulate you, but you've failed me. Screw up one more time, I demote you."

I gulp. "Sir? Are you happy with something? You would've demoted me on the spot."

He turns to face a wall of blueprints. "Yes. I am rather 'happy' with something."

"What is it?"

He turns to me. His emotionless eyes pierce my soul as he stares at me. His blue hair seems to chill the room around me. Chills are sent up and down my spine. "We have located Uxie, Mesprit, and Azelf."

"Where are they?"

"They are in the possession of three children."

"I'll head out to search for them immediately. What do they look like?"

He chuckles. "Azelf is possessed by a blonde male who wears a orange and white striped shirt, a green scarf, and black pants."

"Mesprit is possessed by a young female with black hair, a white beanie, pink boots, and a white scarf."

"Uxie is possessed by a young male with dark blue hair, a black and blue jacket, a red shirt, black pants, and a white scarf."

I scratch my chin. "Why does that seem familiar?" I think out loud.

"You should recognize them. They are the same brats that attacked the Valley Windworks."

I shudder in fear. "T-they a-are?"

"Oh, and also, the one with Uxie is an Aura user, so he is incredibly dangerous. We have captured some… _interesting_ people who are also after the three. I expect you to work with them to the best of your ability."

"Who are they?" I say, my confidence back now that I know I have someone to work with.

"They are natives of the Orre Region. They came here to steal pokémon, but have had little to no luck. I believe they call themselves Team Miror, but now they are our newest recruits."

The boss goes back to his desk and sits down with his back facing me. I turn to leave. "Mars."

"Sir?" I say, turning my head back.

"Don't disappoint me."

I gulp and get out of his office.


	10. Chapter 10

Chapter 10: Eterna Forest

[Chris' POV]

We all walk down the flower-covered path. I yawn and look into the sky, thinking. It's almost nighttime. I feel Dawn grab my hand, pulling me back into reality. I turn to her. She is smiling. Kirlia is sitting on her shoulder. We've been traveling at a faster pace due to the extended amount of time we spent in Floaroma Town. We left yesterday, when I fully recovered. Piplup is walking beside me and the four of us are right behind Monferno, Roark, and Barry. Dawn and I hold hands as we walk down the path. "How much longer are we going to walk?" I ask.

"A few more hours," Barry says. "We lost a lot of time."

I hear Dawn yawning as well. She leans against me as we walk. "Dawn and I are pretty tired."

Barry chuckles. He grabs a pokéball from his belt and throws it in the air. "Use Gust!"

His Staravia appears and blows a strong gust of wind at the two of us. When the wind stops, we're both wide awake. "Never mind."

He returns Staravia and continues walking. I sigh and let go of Dawn's hand. She pulls out a brush and starts to straighten her hair.

A few hours later, we reach the outskirts of a forest. "Alright," Roark says. "Let's call it a day."

I sigh and sit down in the grass. I put my backpack beside me. I stretch and lay down. Dawn lies next to me and grabs my hand. "You going to sleep?" she asks.

I nod. "Yeah. It's been a long day."

I close my eyes and Dawn puts her arms around me. I quickly fall asleep.

I wake to rustling leaves. The sky is dark, but is starting to light up. I slowly get out of Dawn's grip to not wake her. I walk to the edge of the forest, accidentally waking Piplup. Piplup steps in front of me and sees something. She runs into the bush and rolls out an egg. "An egg?"

Piplup nods. "Pip."

"Maybe we should leave it right here in case some pokémon are looking for it."

"Pip piplup pip," Piplup says.

"Maybe if no one comes looking for it, we can take it with us?" I guess.

Piplup nods. Ever since we started our journey, I feel like I've been able to understand Piplup more than other people. "Piplup."

"Okay, I'll watch it."

Piplup nods and sits with me as we watch the forest for other pokémon. Dawn even joined us when she woke up. When Roark finishes cooking he looks over to the three of us. "Breakfast is ready."

Dawn gets up and starts walking to Roark. "Come on."

Piplup sighs and gets up. "Pip."

She walks over to the others. I keep watching the forest for the egg's parents. I hear footsteps from behind me. I turn to see Barry with a plate. "It's been a while. I got some food for you."

I smile and take the plate. I start eating as Barry sits down next to me. "No luck, huh?"

I groan. "I thought the parents would be here by now."

"We're about to get going. Just take it with you. Maybe the parents will find us later."

I nod. Roark comes over with an incubator to put the egg in. I put the incubator with the egg in my bag and walk into the forest with the rest of the group.

We fight a few trainers, but we won't make it out of the gigantic forest for a few days. As we start of on our second day through the forest, we see a Buneary running from a Ponyta. "Bun buneary!"

Ponyta neighs as it uses Ember on Buneary. "Piplup, Bubblebeam!"

Piplup shoots bubbles at the embers, making them disappear. Dawn jumps in front of the Ponyta, who stamps the ground. I see Buneary eyeing Dawn with teary eyes. Barry walks to Ponyta. "Are you alright?"

Ponyta nods and snorts. He looks at Barry and starts walking away. "Hey, Ponyta. Do you want to travel with me?"

Ponyta looks back and nods but fires Ember at him. He quickly sends out Staravia and weakens the pokémon. He throws a pokéball at it and captures it. I look at Dawn. Buneary is holding onto her leg. "Bun. Bunear!"

Dawn sighs and kneels down. "Do you want to travel with me?"

Buneary closes her eyes and nods happily. Dawn grabs a pokéball and Buneary taps the button, instantly being captured. Dawn smiles happily as she shrinks the pokéball and puts it in her bag. We continue walking for at least a few hours before finally resting. Dawn walks over to the group. "Hey, I've got an idea."

"What?" I say.

"Let's do a Tag Battle. Chris and I versus Roark and Barry."

Roark and Barry look at each other, then at the two of us. "Alright," they say, getting up.

We walk to a clearing and stand across from each other. Barry sends out Grotle and Roark sends out Cranidos, who get ready to fight. I look at Dawn and smile. She smiles back and we each grab the pokémon we're going to use. I throw Luxio's pokéball and Dawn sends out Buneary. They all stare each other down as they wait for a command. "Use Shock Wave," I command.

"Swift!"

Buneary swings her ears, shooting stars at the two pokémon. Luxio sends out undodgeable sparks of electricity. "Use Rock Throw to destroy the stars," Roark says.

Cranidos kicks rocks at the stars, shattering them. "Use Energy Ball to try and counter Shock Wave!" Barry yells.

Grotle opens it's mouth and readies a green ball. "Fire!"

Grotle launches the ball, which hits the electricity, but to no avail. The attack hits the Grass type, dealing minimal damage. "Use Bite on Luxio," Barry commands.

Grotle runs forward and chomps onto the Electric type. "Escape using Discharge!"

Luxio shoots lightning bolts everywhere, so Grotle lets go of him. When Grotle gets up, he starts twitching. He's paralysed. I look at Dawn, who smiles. "Luxio, use Quick Attack, then Bite on Grotle."

"Buneary, use Double Slap on Cranidos."

Buneary nods and dashes forward at incredible speed. Luxio is outlined with white and dashes forward. He hits Grotle and bites onto his leg. "Use Headbutt," Roark says.

Cranidos charges headfirst to Buneary, but Buneary stops in front of a tree. "Jump Kick!"

Buneary leaps into the air, causing Cranidos to crash into the tree. Buneary waits on a branch for Cranidos to come out of the tree. When he finally comes to his senses, Buneary hits him with Jump Kick. Cranidos flies into Grotle. Luxio releases Grotle and steps back as they fly into a rock, which shatters it. Dawn and I hug. Only Cranidos stands up, so Barry returns Grotle. "Use Rock Throw!"

Cranidos gets ready to knock rocks our way. "Buneary, use Double Slap on the rocks."

"Luxio, use Quick Attack to dodge."

Luxio and Buneary nod at their commands and wait for the right time. As the rocks fly forward, Buneary smashes them to pieces and Luxio stops most of the rocks from hitting him at high speed. Cranidos starts panting. "Luxio, Shock Wave!"

"Buneary, surround Shock Wave with Swift!"

Luxio fires a bolt of lightning at him. Buneary fires Swift into the attack, accelerating it. It hits Cranidos, sending up dust. As the dust clears, I see Cranidos lying on the ground, knocked out. Roark takes out Cranidos' pokéball. "You did great. Now get some rest."

Dawn puts her arm around me. "Your bond has grown quite well," Barry says.

"Yeah, our pokémon have gotten really close to us," I reply.

Roark laughs. "You misunderstand. We mean you and Dawn. You battle very similarly. It's extremely hard to separate you two from each other now, so it's not surprising."

"Not only that," Barry chimes in. "When you two were at the contest, I could hardly tell you two apart… besides, well…"

Dawn and I look at each other. We both smile. "That's very nice of you two."

Roark smiles. "We should be in Eterna City tomorrow, so you better be prepared for a nice gym battle."

Dawn, Barry, and I nod. "We've got our strategies figured out."

"I can't wait to see them."

Dawn yawns. "How about we get some sleep," she says.

I nod. "Yeah. Let's get to bed. We've got a big day ahead of us."

In a few hours, we eat and lay down to go to bed. I look at the incubator holding the mysterious egg. ' _What could it be?_ ' I think.

" _I don't know,_ " Uxie says. " _It's definitely a mystery. I don't know what it is._ "

"Can't you like, examine it with your psychic powers?"

" _No. It's not alive yet, so it has no thoughts and no form._ "

I think for a moment. "That makes sense."

" _Listen. Do you want to know what everyone is hiding from you?_ "

" _What?!_ " I ask mentally, in case someone is still awake. " _Isn't that going against what they want. They obviously don't want me to know for a good reason._ "

I hear a sigh. " _You're so dense. I would've traded off knowledge for friendship everyday._ "

" _But you're the Knowledge Pokémon. I'm just a human. Nothing special._ "

" _Nothing at all…?_ "

She says that very weirdly. " _What do you mean?_ "

" _So you want to find out, then?_ "

" _NO! I don't want to go against anybody, especially Dawn… She's my girlfriend. I can't betray her trust like that._ "

" _Alright. Don't come crying to me when you die of curiosity._ "

I have to admit, I am rather curious, but I force myself to ignore the looming truth. I push those thoughts aside and look at Dawn. She's asleep. She looks so adorable. I feel a thought enter my head. Dawn immediately blushes as my face also goes hot. It's a thought of me lying in bed with Dawn and I making out. I turn around and see Kirlia giggling. " _I was waiting for the right moment to give you some of those thoughts back!_ "

I blush and turn over again. I embrace Dawn's sleeping body and drift off to sleep.


	11. Chapter 11

Chapter 11: The Old Chateau and the Mysterious Pokémon

We walk down the path when we see a woman with orange hair in a rather… revealing outfit. She seems unsettled and is staring down a path. Her outfit consists of nothing but a small black piece of clothing that covers her breasts and arms. That is covered with a green cloth that flows around some of her upper body. She has ripped orange shorts and green boots. Roark dashes forward. "Gardenia?!"

Gardenia looks at Roark as he runs towards her with arms outstretched. "Roark…" she sighs.

She steps aside as Roark tries to hug her, but he ends up tripping on the root of a tree. He faceplants next to Gardenia, who groans. "I said it a million times. I don't like you!"

"Alright…" Roark says, weakly.

I walk forward. "You're the gym leader of Eterna City…" I say, rather disappointed.

Dawn sighs. "You seem weak. I mean you do use the type with the most weaknesses."

Gardenia goes pale. Roark gets up and hides behind a tree. Gardenia growls and is about to yell when a pokéball on my belt opens and Gardenia is outlined by blue and purple. Uxie floats in front of me. " _I didn't want to hear her tantrum,_ " she groans.

Gardenia starts sweat as Uxie lets her go. "Uh, sorry for almost throwing a tantrum!"

" _Quit whining!_ "

Roark walks over. "So what are you doing here in Eterna Forest by the Old Chateau?"

Gardenia starts sweating even more. I return Uxie quickly. "Uhhhh. Uhhh. Nothing! Nothing at all! I was just going for a stroll!"

"I can tell you're lying. Tell the truth, Gardenia."

She groans. "Fine. I was going to…"

She mumbles something. "What?" Roark says.

She mumbles a bit louder. "I still can't hear you."

"Look for the Rotom!" she yells.

I gasp. "Rotom?!"

I pull out my Pokédex and play Rotom's entry. "Rotom. The Plasma Pokémon. Its electric-like body can enter some kinds of machines and take control in order to make mischief."

I look at Gardenia. "Take me to the Old Chateau!"

She starts sweating. "W-what?!"

"Yeah. Take us to it!"

"N-n-no way!"

"Why? You aren't scared of a little Ghost type, are you?"

She starts shaking. "Alright…"

She leads us down a path leading to an old house, which looks like it'll fall apart. "Okay," Gardenia says. "Now that you're here, I'll head back to the city."

She turns around to leave when Dawn grabs her arm. "Nope! You're coming with us."

"What?!"

Barry and I nod. "Yep. You're coming with us."

"O-o-o-okay…"

We walk inside the building with Gardenia leading us. When I step on a creaky floorboard, Gardenia screams and puts her hands over her head. We chuckle as Gardenia shakes in her boots, literally. "The mighty Eterna City Gym Leader shaking in fear over a creaky floorboard," Barry says.

"You three are fucking demons."

I chuckle a little. "The hell we are."

Dawn giggles. "I guess so."

"Damn, I'm glad my mom's not here. She'd slap you so hard, Gardenia."

As we continue through the house I hear a loud crash just behind me. I freeze and turn around. A statue lies broken into pieces on the floor. I hear a little girl giggling behind me. Gardenia screams as she points at a wispy, little girl. She disappears into nothing, leaving us all frightened. I look back to the front door, which we left open. It slams shut and locks. We all start shaking as we notice one thing. "We're trapped in here, aren't we?" Dawn asks.

No one answers, but the answer is obvious. "Let's look for another way out," Roark says, trying to act brave.

We all nod and continue through the house. We open a door and step into a kitchen. I see an old man sitting at the long table. "Hello?" Barry asks.

The old man looks up at us and opens his eyes. His eyes are hollow and void of life. He stands up and floats through the wall behind him. "WE'RE GOING TO DIE!" Gardenia screams.

I hear a crash to our right, followed by a man yelling in fear. We run to the noise to see Trudly shaking all alone in a corner. He's wearing a Team Galactic uniform, but his hair isn't blue. Mine, Dawn's, and Trudly's Pokétches go off. "Trudly?!" I exclaim.

He looks up. "The rotten kids?!"

He looks around and gets on his knees. He puts his arms on the floor and head down. "Please don't hurt me! I got separated and want to get back to the boss! I won't hurt you!"

I growl. "NO! You tried to take our pokémon! That's inexcusable!"

I feel a sharp pain on the back of my neck before I pass out.

[Dawn's POV]

I catch Chris as he falls unconscious with my free hand. I sigh in relief as the glow of Aura leaves his skin. "That could've been disastrous," Barry says.

I look at Trudly. "Come on."

He smiles and helps me support Chris' weight. "Now tell me why you're here," Roark says.

"We were going to catch the Rotom that's said to dwell here."

"Are Folly and Miror B. here?" I ask.

"Of course! We split up, but I got the short end of the stick and had to check out this creepy room by myself. The old man kept following me and laughing behind my back. When I tried to hit him away, my hand went through him. It was a real ghost. That's when I screamed."

I frown as Chris starts to wake up.

[Chris' POV]

I groan as I stand… up? I open my eyes. Dawn is carrying me with the help of… Trudly?! I shake myself out of their grip. "What the fuck are you doing here, Trudly?!"

He shakes. "I'm sorry. I just lost my way to the boss!"

I start growling, but feel Dawn's arms around me. I calm down and turn to her. We embrace and I feel her lips press onto my left cheek. We release each other and I turn to Trudly. I put out my hand. "Truce?"

He nods and shakes my hand. "Truce."

We walk up the stairs and look around the main hall. "This place is huge," I say, with awe in my voice.

Dawn, Trudly, and I walk side by side down a hall to what I think are guest rooms. Barry, Gardenia, and Roark went to look downstairs again. I look at a few doors in front of me. I turn to Dawn. "Split up, or stay together?" I ask.

"Stay together!" Trudly yells, obviously terrified.

Dawn nods. "I agree."

"Then, we'll go in the middle room."

I turn and open the middle door. I hold the door open for them and leave it open behind me. It slams shut and the lock clicks after I walk in. We all turn to the door and gasp.

[Song: Pokémon Trainer Red Battle Theme v2]

A tv turns on behind me. I turn around and see static, which is accompanied with white noise. I gulp and change the channel with the knob. One is clear, but the screen is pitch black. I feel fear in the pit of my stomach. All of a sudden, electricity sparks out of the tv, blowing it up. We cover each other from the blast. I turn to see a small, orange Pokémon floating out of the rubble. "Ro-. Tom."

I take out my Pokédex and scan it. "Rotom, the plasma Pokémon. Its electric-like body can enter some kinds of machines and take control in order to make mischief."

"Rotom. So it is you."

The Electric/Ghost type flies toward me, surrounding itself with electricity. I dodge Rotom's Spark. It phases through a wall. I throw a Pokéball and release Luxio. "Ready, Luxio?"

He nods. "Lux."

"Great, Bite!"

Roton appears and Luxio immediately attacks. He bites down on Rotom, inflicting the super-effective damage. I smile. "ROTOM!" it says, sending electricity everywhere.

Luxio screams and falls over, fainted. I return him and frown. I send out Staravia and point at Rotom. "High-Speed Aerial Ace!"  
Staravia performs the combo of attacks and crashes into Rotom, inflicting little damage, but it might be enough. I take out a Pokéball and hit Rotom with it. The ball falls to the ground and starts to shake. I am ready to gain him on my team when the ball explodes. Rotom appears and uses Thunder Shock. "Dodge it!"

Staravia flies through the electricity and surrounds itself with a blue aura. He dashes forward and spreads his wings, turning the aura red. Rotom is sent flying into a wall with Brave Bird. Staravia lands and catches his breath, exhausted and wounded. Rotom starts to get up, but I throw a Pokéball at him. The ball shakes multiple times, before dinging.

[Song End]

"Welcome to the team, Rotom," I say, letting him out of the ball.

Rotom smiles and flies around me. Dawn sighs in relief and links her arm with mine. She kisses my cheek and I look at her. She leans onto me. I see Trudly open the door and walk out. We follow him out and into the main hall. I turn to Rotom. "Can you go find the other three wandering around in the house?"

Rotom nods and flies through a wall. Dawn and I sit on the stairs and cuddle. Trudly lies down across from us, resting. I hear a woman screaming. I chuckle. "Gardenia…"

I look Dawn in the eyes. She smiles and leans in to me. I lean in, too. We are close to kissing when we hear someone approaching. I turn around and see Barry standing there. "If you guys want privacy, I'll just go back upstairs."

Dawn sighs. "No. We'll get going."

Damn it. "Just a small kiss?" I ask.

Dawn sighs and kisses me quickly. I smile and hug her. Dawn gasps, then hugs back. We both smile. Unfortunately, the moment is broken by Gardenia swearing like a sailor about our little scare. We chuckle as we walk out of the building, Trudly staying behind to wait for his team.

[Mars' POV]

I walk next to Folly through a hall. I hear beeping on my right wrist. I bring my wrist up and activate my Pokétch. I hear Trudly's voice on the other side. "If you're looking for the Rotom, you're wasting your time."

"Why? Did you catch it?"

He stays quiet. "Who did?" I ask sternly.

"The brat. You know… the one with the Uxie."

"Damn you!"

"It's not like I can beat him!"  
"He's still a kid. Fight him!"

"Hello! Aura!"

"Damn, I forgot."  
"However, I believe he doesn't have control over it yet."

"What do you mean?"

"He started to use it when he got angry, but his girlfriend knocked him out."

I think. "That's a very great detail about him. You may not have caught the Rotom, but you gave us great information on his potential weakness. What were their names?"

"Chris is the one I am referring to. His girlfriend is Dawn. They are travelling with Chris' friend Barry and the gym leader, Roark. Gardenia was also with them, but I doubt she is a long time companion."

"Thank you, Trudly. This may definitely help us locate them. Meet us outside the house."

"Got it."  
"See you then," I say, hanging up.

I smirk. "Chris, Dawn, Roark, and Barry. We're coming for you."  
I dial the boss to give him the good news as we walk to the exit.


	12. Chapter 12

Chapter 12: Gardenia, the Grass Pokémon Expert

I walk up in the Eterna City Pokémon Center. I yawn and stretch as I start to wake up. Uxie seems to be asleep still, so I get dressed and get ready for the gym battle. I walk out of the Pokémon Center and look around. I see a statue of Dialga and one of Palkia. I walk to the Pokémart and buy some food and potions for later. "Have a nice day," the woman behind the counter says as I pay.

I nod. "You too."  
As I walk outside, I see a man chasing something. I see him dive to the ground, but a small brown pokémon runs through his legs. "Get back here!"  
The pokémon giggles and runs to me. It tilts its head and runs again when it hears footsteps. The man holds himself up on the wall and catches his breath. "You okay?" I ask.

He shakes his head. "No."

"What was that pokémon?"

"An Eevee. It's incredibly rare, but I don't think it's worth it. I'm old and out of shape."

I nod. "How about I catch it for you?"

"No. You catch it, you keep it."

I hear something in the bush behind me. I turn and see Eevee's head poke out. "Ee?"

I crouch down and smile. "Hi, Eevee."

It smiles back. "Vee!"

I walks to my legs and rubs itself on me. I pet it and Eevee lies down. "You want to come with me?"

Eevee nods. "Eevee."

I put a pokéball on the ground. Eevee stands up and puts her paw on it. She is pulled in and it dings instantly. I pick up the pokéball and release Eevee. I hold out my arms and she jumps into my arms. "How did you do that?" the man asks.

I shrug. "I just have a way with pokémon. I always have."

"Well you have a nice day, then."

I nod. "You too."

I walk back to the Pokémon Center to see Dawn. Eevee rubs her head against me. I set her down and she follows me. I walk into the Pokémon Center and let out my pokémon with teh exception of Uxie. They smile. Piplup and Eevee look at each other. Eevee smiles and Piplup turns away. Eevee looks shocked. "Ee?"

"Pip!"

I frown and crouch down. "Come on. You guys have to get along."

Staravia and Luxio have already accepted Eevee. I see Dawn coming down the hall. Eevee hides behind me, timid. I walk towards Dawn, smiling. "Good morning," I say.

"Good morning, Chris."

We embrace for a moment, then let each other go. "Meet the newest member of my team."

I pick Eevee up and Dawn awes. "She's so cute. But aren't Eevees incredibly rare in Sinnoh?"

I nod. "I guess I'm lucky to have found one here."

"I wonder which evolution you'll evolve her into."

"Let's see. There's Glacion…"  
Eevee shakes her head. "Leafeon?"

She shakes her head again. "Flareon?"

No. "Vaporeon?"

No again. "Jolteon? Or Espeon?"

No both times. "Umbreon?"

She doesn't shake her head, but doesn't nod either. Finally, she smiles. "Eevee."

She shakes her head. I gasp. "You don't want to evolve?!"  
Eevee shakes her head. "So you do?"

Eevee nods. "But you said no to every one of your evolutions."

"Maybe she doesn't know right now," Dawn says.

I look at Eevee, who starts climbing to my right shoulder. She smiles. Piplup climbs to my left shoulder. I see Barry and Roark walking to the lobby. "Hi guys! I caught an Eevee."

Roark gasps. "Really?"

"Ee?" Eevee says, hearing her name.

"Wow. A real Eevee!"  
Eevee starts to hide behind my head. "You're scaring her."

"Oh, sorry."  
Barry smiles. "Well, we have a gym battle to get to."

"We should eat first, though," Dawn says.

I nod. "Our pokémon will fight better with full stomachs."

We walk outside to a trail outside the city and sit on the ground. Roark and Dawn start cooking. I take out my incubator to check on the egg. I open it and hold it in my arms. Nothing is happening. I put it back in the incubator. "What are you?" I say, quietly.

I put pokémon food into a few bowls and give the bowls to each of my pokémon. Eevee tries a piece and looks up at me timidly. "Eevee?"

"What's wrong?"

Eevee walks to me and nuzzles my leg. Dawn sits next to me with two plates of food. She gives me one. "I think she likes you," she says.

Dawn kisses my cheek and starts eating. I grab a piece of pokémon food and try to feed Eevee. She doesn't open her mouth. "Do you not like it?" I ask.

She shakes her head. I smile. I reach into my bag and grab some poffins I bought at the store. Eevee sniffs one and takes a bite. She gulps and hurriedly takes another. Soon, she has eaten the whole poffin. "I guess you like them."  
Eevee nods. I pet her head. "Eeeeeeeeee!" she says excitedly.

I grab my Pokédex and see Eevee's moves. I gasp. "That doesn't seem right."

"What?"  
"Nothing… Just not what I expected."

I stare at the Pokédex reading. A move she has is just question marks. Along with the type.

I let out Uxie. " _What is it?_ "

" _What is up with Eevee? She's strange._ "

" _You want me to read her memories?_ "

" _If you can…_ "

Uxie starts with the process. " _It'll take a while, but I have to get everything up until you caught her._ "

I nod and return Uxie. " _The move is Baby-Doll Eyes, though._ "

" _What? Nevermind. I'll talk to the professor about it._ "

An hour later, we arrive in front of the gym. We walk in and see trees and grass covering the place. Everywhere except a field in the center of the gym. Gardenia is sitting on a stump waiting. "You're finally here," she says. "Alright."

Dawn, Roark, and Barry go sit on the sidelines. I look at Piplup. "Sorry, but go with them."

"Pip?"

"It's a grass-type gym. You'll get knocked out easily."

[Song: Pokémon HeartGold/SoulSilver Kanto Gym /Elite Four Battle Theme Remix]

She nods and head to the sidelines. She grabs a pokéball and I do the same. She throws it. "Turtwig!"

I throw mine. "Staravia!"  
Staravia and Turtwig appear and stare each other down. The referee puts his hand up. "Battle begin!"

"Aerial Ace!"  
"Reflect!"  
Staravia dashes forward and Turtwig creates a barrier that clashes against Staravia's attack. Cracks start to appear in the barrier, but Staravia flies away, panting. "Razor Leaf!"  
Turtwig sends leaves flying towards Staravia. "Dodge!"

Staravia starts flying around, but a few leaves graze him. I grin. "High-Speed Aerial Ace!"  
Staravia starts a quick attack and uses Aerial Ace at the last second. Turtwig is sent flying back, knocking a tree over. Turtwig runs to the battle again. Staravia stands on the ground. Gardenia smiles. "Razor Leaf!"

Turtwig launches leaves at Staravia again. "Aerial Ace!"

Staravia flies upwards and expertly dodges every leaf. He hits Turtwig square in the face. Staravia flies up and lands on my shoulder. Turtwig struggles to get up, but I notice something. The arena feels warmer. Turtwig falls to the ground, knocked out. "Turtwig is defeated! The round winner is Chris and Staravia!"

Gardenia returns Turtwig and I nod to Staravia. He flies into the air and gets ready. Gardenia throws a pokéball. "Cherrim!"

The Cherrim appears on the grassy field and glows. It changes form. I growl. "Turtwig used Sunny Day before he fainted, didn't he?"

Gardenia nods. "You're smart, aren't you?"

I grin. "Staravia, Quick Attack."

Staravia dashes to Cherrim. "Dodge it and use Leech Seed!"

Cherrim quickly evades the attack and launches seeds in the ground below Staravia. Vines grow rapidly out of the ground and wrap around Staravia. "Get out of there!"  
His energy is being drained slowly by the plant. "Magical Leaf!"  
Cherrim launches a barrage of glowing leaves that hit Staravia. The vine release Staravia, who falls to the ground. "No!"

"Staravia is defeated! The round goes to Gardenia and Cherrim."

I return Staravia and send out another pokémon. Rotom appears in front of them. "Use Ominous Wind!"

"Magical Leaf!"

Rotom summons a hellish wind that whips Cherrim before it can use its move. "Quickly! Shock Wave!"

Rotom blasts a wave of electricity at Cherrim. The wind stops and Cherrim falls to the ground, down. "Cherrim is unable to battle! The round goes to Chris and Rotom!"

Gardenia returns Cherrim and sends out her last pokémon. "Roserade!"

A Roserade appears in front of us. "Shock Wave."

"Stun Spore!"  
Roserade sends out pollen, which lands on Rotom. He freezes up. He's paralyzed. "Magical Leaf! Full power!"  
Leaves come from all directions, all aimed for Rotom. Rotom is hit with every single one of them because of his paralyzation. Rotom falls to the ground, down. "Rotom is unable to battle! The round goes to Gardenia and Roserade!"

I grit my teeth and look at Eevee. "You're up."  
Eevee nods and runs to the battle field. I smile. "You make the first move," Gardenia says.

I nod. "Tackle!"

Eevee charges up to Roserade and hits it as hard as she can. Roserade take a bit of damage. "Grass Knot!"  
The knot made with the grass is near invisible. "Quick Attack!"

Eevee start a mad dash towards Roserade, but is tripped. She falls face-first to the ground. "Enough games, Gardenia!"  
Eevee gets up, determined to win. "Magical Leaf!"  
"Dodge then dash to Roserade and get ready."

Eevee jumps past all of the leaves and gets ready for her next attack. I smirk. "Iron Tail!"  
Gardenia looks shocked. Eevee jumps into the air and spins. Her tail becomes silver and slams down on Roserade. Roserade recovers and looks at Eevee. "Baby-Doll Eyes!"  
Eevee stops and sits. She stares into Roserade's eyes, who stops moving. "While it's distracted! Iron Tail!"  
Eevee moves quickly and does a backflip. Her tail hits Roserade on her chin and she flips backwards. "Finish with an Iron Tail combo."

Eevee runs forward and repeated smashes Roserade with her tail. Eevee jumps back to me, but Roserade drops to her knees, then falls over. Gardenia watches on in awe. "Roserade is unable to battle! Chris and Eevee are the match winner!"

[Song End]

Eevee looks at me and smiles. She runs to me and jumps into my arms. "Great job Eevee!"

"Eevee!"

I set Eevee down to hug Dawn, who's running towards me. She lets go of me and I see Gardenia walking towards me. She holds out her right hand and opens her palm. "This is the Forest Badge," she says.

I take the green and gold badge and place it in my trainer's case. "Now tell me, what was Eevee doing in that battle?" she asks.

I think. "I don't know, but it had an unknown move and Iron Tail. The unknown move was Baby-Doll Eyes. I'm not sure what type of move it is, though."

I let out Staravia and Rotom, who are doing a little better. Gardenia kneels down to look at Eevee. "She's very special. Very special indeed."

Eevee cocks her head and smiles. "I'll be right back," Gardenia says. "I've got to heal my pokémon."

I look at Barry, who's going next. "I've got to call Professor Rowan really quick, so good luck."  
He nods. "Alright. See you later."

I wave to them and walk outside. I start to head to the Pokémon Center when I see Trudly and Mars walking through the town. I hide in an alleyway as they pass. My Pokétch isn't going off, so Miror B.'s not around. I quickly run to the Pokémon Center and sigh in relief. I take Staravia and Rotom to get healed as I contact Rowan. He picks up and waves. "Hello, Chris! How are your travels?"

"Fine. I just got the Forest Badge."

"So you're in Eterna City."

"Yeah. I also caught an interesting new pokémon."

"What is it?"

I look down at Eevee. She jumps up and sits on the table. "An Eevee! That's incredibly rare!"

I nod. "She's something alright. She won the gym battle with barely a scratch."

He thinks. "How curious… An Eevee?"

"She has the move Iron Tail."

"Iron Tail? An Eevee?"

He looks around. "I will have to call Professor Kukui about that. He's the master on pokémon moves."

"Yeah, I've heard of him. He's from Alola, right? That region close to Kanto?"

Rowan nods. "Yes he is."

"There's also one more thing. Eevee knows a move called Baby-Doll Eyes. It wasn't in my Pokédex, but Uxie knew it. What type is it?"

He thinks. "Baby-Doll Eyes? Hmmm… I think I've heard of it before."  
His eyes widen. "Yes, of course. It's a Fairy-type move."

"Fairy?"

He nods. "I will give you Professor Sycamore's contact information. He will be able to explain it a bit more."

I nod and hang up. I contact Professor Sycamore, who picks up after a few seconds. "Hello?"  
I smile. "Hello, I'm Chris. I'm a friend of Professor Rowan's."

"Oh, Rowan! Very nice to meet you, Chris."  
"I'm calling on behalf of my Eevee. It knows a Fairy-type move called Baby-Doll Eyes. What is Fairy-type?"

"It's a type that is native to the Kalos and Alola regions. My current theory on why is because it has evolved due to Dragon-types. You see, Dragon-types are some of the strongest pokémon, so a selection of pokémon have developed a new typing to defend theirselves. Fairy-types aren't affected by Dragon-type moves, and Dragon-types are weak against Fairy-types moves."

I take a breath. "I see."

"In that case, I believe your Eevee traveled from Kalos to Sinnoh somehow."

I nod. "Now that you say it, I don't think Eevees are found roaming towns very much."

"Definitely not. They are very rare in many regions."

Sycamore pauses then smiles. "I actually think you might be a great subject for something."

"What?"

"Will you partake in something for me?"

I nod and he holds a delivery pokéball. They hold items. He places it next to his computer and presses a button. The ball appears in front of me. I open it and see a white watch. I inspect it. "A watch?"  
Sycamore laughs. "No."

I see a gem on top of it. It has a strange symbol inside of it. "It's a Key Stone."

"Key Stone?"  
"Yes. It is a stone that enables Mega Evolution. And before you ask, Mega Evolution is a special kind of evolution that enables some pokémon to ascend beyond their final evolutions for a while. Some pokémon that can do this are Gardevoir, Lucario, and Garchomp. Several others can too."

"Woah…"

"I know. It's magnificent. I've never seen it in person, but I've heard of people who have Mega Evolved pokémon."

"It sounds incredible."

Sycamore nods. "Definitely."

He turns and waves someone over. A Garchomp appears on the screen. "Garchomp here can Mega Evolve. Unfortunately, I don't have his Mega Stone. If I did, I'd be sure to study Mega Evolution first-hand."  
"Thank you for talking, Professor. I've got to get back to my friends now."

He nods. "Of course. Goodbye. Call anytime."  
I wave goodbye and hang up. I go to Nurse Joy. "Are they almost done?"

She turns. "Sorry, but our machine is acting up. We're going try doing everything we can to get it fixed."

"If only Rotom didn't faint, you could use him."

I sigh. "It's okay. I'll be back."

She nods. "Alright."

I go to the automatic door and pick outside. I don't see Mars or any of Miror B.'s goons anywhere. I bolt to the gym and walk inside. I turn around from closing the door and gasp at the sight. Dawn is being held at knife-point by Mars. "Mars!"

"Don't come any closer, boy! I'll slice her throat."

"I don't have to get any closer," I say.

I reach for Luxio's pokéball. I hear Dawn screaming. "Stop Chris!"

I stop when I see red liquid dripping on the knife. "Unless you don't want her dying, you'll cooperate."

I stand still and put my hands up. "Iron Tail! Kick up the dirt!"

Eevee jumps and hits the ground. I hear her running away, then the noise disappears. I am still standing there when the dust settles. Mars is staring me dead in the eye. "Purugly, search the room for that pesky Eevee!"

Purugly runs to the outer forest and begins her search. Gardenia is lying on the ground behind her. She has cuts and bruises on her body. Barry is lying against a tree. He's still conscious, but he's in pain. I growl. "What did you do?!"  
She drops Dawn to the ground. "You know why we're here. Give us the Uxie!"  
I play dumb. "Uxie? Why would I have a Legendary Pokémon?"  
"DON'T PLAY DUMB WITH ME, BOY!"  
I smirk. "So what if I have it? _If_ I did, why would I give it to you?"

Mars smiles. "I thought you'd say that."

She clears her throat. "Show him!"

Trudly and Folly walk out from the forest with a cage. Mesprit and Azelf are in it. " _NO!_ " Uxie yells.

I keep smirking. "It's over."

Mars is caught off guard. "What?"

Purugly hits Mars's back, knocking her over. Eevee runs out of the forest and finishes Purugly with Quick Attack. I point at Mars. "Tackle!"

Eevee rams into Mars. She stands up and pants. She throws a pokéball. A Gallade stands over Eevee. I throw Luxio's pokéball. "Spark!"  
Luxio rams into Gallade, but Gallade grabs Luxio and throws him away. "Kill it! Psycho Cut!"  
Gallade extends his blades and they glow purple. He dashes forward. "BITE!"

Eevee runs forward and bites Gallade heel. "Luxio, Shock Wave!"  
Luxio sends off an electric wave, that knocks Gallade back. "Agility, Luxio! Keep using it."

Luxio dashes around the room, getting faster and faster. Gallade kicks Eevee off and starts the slash down. "Crunch, Luxio!"  
Luxio dashes forward and bites Gallades blade. Gallade grunts and drops to one knee. He tries to stab his other blade, but Eevee moves. Gallade shakes Luxio off and uses Slash. Luxio flies through the wall of the gym, landing outside. I gasp and dash in front of Eevee when Gallade brings his arm up. I prepare to die, but I feel something within me. I feel it leave instantly after hearing something hit the ground. I look and see a cube glowing blue. Mars is up, but bleeding where Eevee rammed her. "That solves that."

Gallade is panting, but smiles. I look at Eevee. She gets up and jumps onto my head. She shines brightly, seemingly hurting Gallade. The light fades as quickly as it came. Eevee is panting, but Gallade is having trouble standing. Gallade finally falls over, defeated. Mars gaps. "How?"

I smile. "She's got Fairy-type moves. I guess it's strong against Fighting-types."

"Fairy? Don't think this is over."

She returns Gallade. I turn to Mars. "What's the move called?"  
" _Dazzling Gleam._ "

"Eevee, Dazzling Gleam."  
Eevee stands on my head and shines again. Mars yells before I hear a body hit the ground. The light fades and Mars is inconscious. I look at Trudly and Folly. Eevee looks too. "Vee!" she yells.

They run away and leave the cage. "Iron Tail."

Eevee slams her tail onto the cage, breaking it. I walk to Mars and contact Looker. I take off her Pokétch and put it in my bag. I wake up the others and have Barry use Ponyta's Fire Spin to contain her. Looker arrives just as Mars regains consciousness. I explain what happened and Looker sighs. "I guess it isn't a secret anymore."

He looks at Mars. "We have many questions for you."

A hole opens in the flame column and Looker walks in to handcuff her. Mars glares at me as the two walk off. "You'll regret this."

I smirk. "That supposed to scare me?"

She growls as Looker puts her in the back of a police van.


	13. Chapter 13

Chapter 13: Commander Jupiter

Dawn is holding her badge as we walk out of the gym. We walk to the Pokémon Center and heal our Pokémon. Eevee sits next to me and leans on my leg. We start to walk to the rooms when my Pokétch rings. I answer. "Hello?"  
"Chris, it's Looker."

"What's up?"

"I have received word of a Team Galactic building in Eterna City. Stay on guard."

"Got it."  
"I'll talk to you when I learn something else."  
He hangs up and I yawn. Dawn looks at me. "What is it?"

"Team Galactic. There's a headquarters here in Eterna."  
I hear my Pokédex say an alert. I look at it. Someone is calling. I go to a phone and pick up. Professor Sycamore is there. "Hello, Chris!"

"Hello, Professor!"

"I forgot to give you a Pokédex to accurately read Eevee's moves."

I nod. "Alright, send it over."

A red pack appears in the transport terminal. I take it and attach it to the back of my Pokédex. I thank Professor Sycamore, then walk out of the Pokémon Center along with Dawn, Barry, and Roark. We all approach the Team Galactic base. Some grunts look at me. I glare at them. Eevee growls. I smile. "Eevee, go."  
Eevee leaps from my hat and lands across from the grunts. They chuckle, then one steps forward throwing a pokéball. A Zubat starts flying. I grin. "Iron Tail."  
Eevee swiftly knocks out the Zubat. The grunt looks shocked. I smirk, then grab two pokéballs. "Staravia, Luxio… go!"  
The two pokémon prepare for battle. The grunts steps back, then run to the building behind them. "Thunder Wave," I say calmly.

A light shockwave hits one of the grunts, stunning him. Piplup waddles up. "Bubblebeam."  
Piplup jumps up and sprays bubbles at the other grunt, making him flee. I kneel in front of the paralyzed grunt. "Key Card, now."  
He starts shaking even more. "Back pocket."  
I grab the key card, then set a Paralyze Heal next to him. He grabs it as the rest of us walk to the front door. I pick up Piplup. Roark's Cranidos knocks open a vent cover. I let Piplup climb into it. Dawn lets Pachirisu go with her again. I hold Rotom's pokéball. "Cut their electricity," I say letting him out.

Rotom appears, then phazes through the wall. "Our attack begins now," I say.

I scan the card and let everyone run in. I walk in with Eevee, Luxio, and Staravia with me. Dawn and I stay together. Barry and Roark split from us to reak havoc. " _They know I'm with you,_ " Uxie says. " _Let me help._ "  
I smirk and grab the pokéball. "Stay close."

I let out the Legendary Pokémon. Dawn lets out Mesprit. They push away grunts, intimidating them. I hear a woman chuckling over the speakers. "Looks like we have some intruders. The Mesprit holder, and the Uxie holder."

"Who is this?" I ask.

"I am Commander Jupiter."

Dawn nods to me. "Let's go," she mouths.

[Piplup's POV]

I walk next to Pachirisu. "Where are we going to go?"

Pachirisu looks around. "I don't know. This place is much bigger than the last place."

"What if we cause some trouble for some of the people our masters are fighting?!"

Pachirisu looks at me and smiles. "That's brilliant."

We reach the end of the vent and look through the cover on the bottom of the vent. Some people are running down the hall. We jump and break through the cover. We land in front of four grunts. "Two pokémon! It must be the intruder's!"

I jump up and fire a Bubblebeam at them. They are caught off guard and they grunt in pain. Pachirisu charges up electricity. "Thundershock!" she yells. The lighting combines with the water on them and they scream in agony. They all fall to the ground, unconscious. I nod to Pachirisu. We run down the hall the way they came from. I hear someone walking this way. I look up and see a woman with pink hair. "Found you."

She throws two capsules, which cover us in a sort of electronic cage.

[Chris's POV]

"Chris," Dawn says.

"Yeah?"

"I feel like this is _too_ easy."  
"I know how you feel. Uxie isn't doing much to keep the grunts away either."  
The light cut out. I grin. "Let's move!"

Dawn and I run down several hallways, slowly making our way to the command center. I see a door with a card scanner up ahead. I scan the card. No light shows up. "What?" Dawn says.

"Oh, right," I realize.

"Spark, Aerial Ace, Iron Tail, Psi Wave."  
The door blasts inward, skidding to a halt in the center of the room. A woman swiftly turns around, terrified. "What did you do?!" she yells.

"I cut the power. What's wrong, scared of the dark?"  
Commander Jupiter stands up. "You ruined this place. Your pokémon fried the circuitry. That's the last straw!"

[Song: Prince Sidon's Theme]  
She sends out two pokéballs. "I'll end you."

A Zubat and Skuntank appear. I shake my head. "Get stronger pokémon, please."  
She gasps. "What?"  
"Eevee, Dazzling Gleam."  
She shines a bright light at the two pokémon. They take minimal damage. "Must not work well against poison types," I murmur.

Dawn looks at me. "Should I join?"  
I nod. "Have some fun."  
She smiles. "Monferno, Fire Spin!"  
I smiles. "Shock Wave, Luxio. Dazzling Gleam, Eevee."

Her pokémon are wiped out with the attacks combined. She backs up to the computer, terrified for her life. I smile. "I ask again."

I slowly walk towards her. Rotom phases through the wall and floats behind me. He glows. "Are you afraid of the dark?"

Commander Jupiter shrieks as I give her a sinister grin.

The building starts to shake. "There goes the foundation," Dawn says.

"Let's go," I say, turning around. I return Staravia and Luxio, but hear something to my left. I turn my head to see Piplup and Pachirisu yelling for our attention. I growl and turn back to Jupiter.

[Dawn's POV]

Chris starts glowing blue. I gasp, but run for the pokémon. I press a button of the devices creating the cages. The cages disappear and the pokémon run to the door. I look at Chris to see him slowly walking towards Jupiter. His aura starts flaring. I see a cube like the one Mars had. I throw it on the ground behind Chris. His aura is absorbed into the box. He drops to one knee. I grab his arm and drag him out of the room.

[Chris's POV]

"We need to go, Chris," Dawn says.

The ceiling caves in on the stair nearest us. I see Piplup and Pachirisu at a hole in the wall. They nod and jump out. Staravia jumps out of his pokéball and flies after the two. I look at Uxie. "Catch us."  
She nods. " _I will._ "

I grab Dawn's hand and we both jump out of the building. I feel my body slowing down as I get nearer to the ground. As we drift down, I turn to see the building collapse. I see Roark and Barry bolt out of the front door a few seconds before debris comes rushing out of the building. We land safely next to the two of them. They are catching their breath as we touch down. "That… was… intense…" Barry exclaims.

Dawn smiles at me. I hug her and she hugs me back. I see Officer Jenny riding a motorcycle towards us. "You four!"  
She stops and jumps off of her bike. "Explain what happened!"  
Uxie floats above me. Officer Jenny catches eye. "U-U-Uxie?!"

I nod. "Yup. Show her, Uxie."  
She shows her everything that happened inside. "Team Galactic… they were here?!"  
I nod. "They are vile! I despise them."

She nods. "Try not to destroy any more buildings on your stay here."

I nod. "I'll try."

She rides off and I call Looker to tell him what happened.


	14. Chapter 14

Chapter 14: The Journey to Hearthome City

We all walk down the path to Oreburgh City under the Bicycle Road. Dawn holds my hand as Eevee walks next to me. "Vee," she says happily.

Roark looks up from his map. "We're going to head to Hearthome City once we reach the city."

I nod. "Alright. We have to head through Mount Coronet, correct?"

Roark nods. "We're almost there, too."  
I look around for some pokémon. "Strange," Dawn says. "I haven't seen any pokémon yet."  
I hear grass rustling. I stop and turn. I see a Buizel come out and look around. Dawn lets go of my hand and walks towards it. It is limping. Dawn kneels down. "Are you okay?"  
It looks up at her. "Bui," it says with pain in it's voice.

Buizel rolls over and lifts it's right leg. A rock is stuck in his foot. Dawn grips it. "This might hurt a little."

Buizel nods. Dawn quickly pulls the rock out. Buizel cries out in pain. "It's okay. It's over."

Buizel stands up and walks around. "Bui, Bui!"

It runs to Dawn. "What is it? You want to come with me?"  
It nods. Dawn smiles and takes out a pokéball. Buizel taps it with it's nose as is pulled into it. It wobbles in Dawn's hand, then clicks. Dawn lets it out. "Alright. Let's go, Buizel."

Buizel walks alongside us. Piplup comes out of her pokéball and start walking with us.

We make it to Mount Coronet by sundown and start setting up camp. I shiver. "We're higher up than before, right?" I ask.

Roark nods. "In Hearthome, I would get some warmer clothes. It is getting to be colder."  
Dawn comes to me with two blankets. She sits down and puts one around me and the other around her. "You know Dawn, it would be warmer if we got closer."  
She smiles. "It would."  
We scoot closer to each other. I start blushing. I glance at Dawn. Her face is turning red, too. I scoot closer and put my arm around her, holding her close to me. She smiles. Suddenly, she lifts her head up and kisses my cheek. I turn to her and smile. We move our heads closer together. Our eyes start closing. Suddenly, Roark shouts, "Dinner is ready!"

We stop and stare at each other. She backs off. "That ruined the mood."  
I sigh. "Yeah, but we can still kiss."

"No. I mean… the mood was perfect. Under the night sky, cuddling, silence. It was perfect, but…"  
I hug her. "It's okay. We'll find that perfect moment."  
She leans into me. "Let's go eat."

I let go of her and nod.

After dinner, I get to my tent and climb into my sleeping bag. I hear someone zip open my tent. "Chris?"  
I see Dawn. "Do you want to… sleep together?"  
"Sure. I'll move ov…"  
She crawls in and opens my sleeping bag. She covers us with a blanket. "Is this okay?"  
I nod. "Perfect."  
I lie on my side and look at her. She looks back and smiles. We look away and close our eyes. She shifts closer to me and presses herself against me a tiny bit. I feel her soft breathing on my neck. I smile. I feel the urge to kiss her and hold her close. I feel a warm feeling inside of me. I want to be close to her like this. I need to. I don't want her to leave me… I love her.

The next morning, I see that Dawn isn't next to me. I sit up and yawn. I get dressed and step out of the tent. I feel the morning frost beneath my feet through my shoes. I see Dawn sitting on a rock, looking up at Mount Coronet. She is smiling. Buizel, Kirlia, and Monferno are sitting around her. I grin as I watch her. "Morning, sleepyhead," she says.

I chuckle. "What's up?"  
"Just thinking."

"About what?"

"What's gonna happen when we stop Team Galactic? What are we going to do after the Pokémon League? Everything."

"What does it matter?"  
"You know, a purpose to do what we do."

I walk over to her, ignoring the chill of the air. I sit next to her. She looks at me. I stare into her eyes and she stares back. We both smile. She moves her head closer to mine. I move closer to her and put my arms around her. We close our eyes as our lips touch together. We remain that way for what feels like forever. I pull away from her. She hugs me. "I found it," she says.

I embrace her. She loves me back. The emotions run through every inch of my body. She kisses me again. "You're a really wonderful person, Chris."

"You are too."  
She leans against me. "Don't ever leave me."

"I won't."


	15. Chapter 15

Chapter 15: Dreams

I wake up and look to my right. Dawn is still sleeping. "Just a dream…" I sigh.

I look out the opening to the tent. Sunlight is peeking inside. I look at Dawn. She shivers. I lay back down and hug her. She smiles. "Gotcha," she says, opening her eyes.

She hugs me back. She holds me close for several seconds. I try to prolong it for as long as possible, but I know that won't happen. She lets go of me and sits up. "I'm going to get dressed, so can you leave for a second."

I nod, stepping out into the cold morning air. I shiver and starts rubbing my arms to stay warm. I grab Eevee's pokéball and throw it in the air. Eevee appears on a rock. I see Piplup waddling around, already awake. "Sorry I didn't take you out of your pokéball, Eevee."

She jumps down and rubs her head on my leg. "Vee."  
"I'm gonna guess that means you accept my apology."

Eevee nods and jumps. I catch her and sit down. I pet her as she lies on my legs. I grab a Poffin case in my bag and open it. Eevee tries to look inside, but I close it before she does. I hold a Poffin in my hand. She sniffs my hand and smiles. "Eevee!" she says excitedly.

I nod and open my hand. "Here you go!"  
She picks it up in her teeth and jumps to the rock next to the one we are sitting on. She starts eating it cheerfully. I smile. "I hope you turn out to be a great pokémon Eevee."

I hear my tent rustling. I see Dawn walk out. She's wearing her usual outfit. I walk back to the tent and climb in. I grab some warm clothes and throw them on. It's not a winter jacket, but it's warm enough at the moment. I walk out of the tent and start putting it away. A thought appears in my head. "Dawn?"  
"Yeah?"

"How old are you and when is your birthday?"  
She giggles. "I'm fifteen. My birthday is in nine months."  
I turn to her surprised. "I turn fifteen in a week. I thought you were fourteen."  
"A lot of people think I'm younger than I am."

Eevee cocks her head to us as we talk. I smile at her and tilt my head at her. Eevee smiles. Piplup comes running towards me. I let out Staravia. "How 'bout you stretch your wings?"

He nods and flies around camp. I see Barry and Roark taking their tents down. Roark shivers. "It's too cold to cook breakfast."

I hear my stomach growl. "But we're hungry."

"Let's get to Hearthome quickly then."

I groan and head towards the entrance to Mount Coronet. Dawn and I lead us through the cave. We are walking alongside a lake when I see a man with spiked up blue hair. His outfit is like Team Galactic's, but I feel like if I fight him, he will surely win. He turns to me. "So we finally meet. Chris, is it?"  
I back up as he steps closer to us. "You've caused quite the trouble for me."  
I can't quite see his face in the shadows, but he is definitely part of Team Galactic. "You defeated two of my elites and toppled a building in the process. I bet you're incredibly strong."  
I start shaking. I see a devilish smirk on his face. It is all I can see of his face. "But no matter how strong you get…"  
He leans into the light. I shake in fear as I stare into his eyes. "I will always be stronger."  
He walks past us and towards the entrance we went in. I drop to my knees, in shock.

Dawn drops down and hugs me. "Are you okay?"  
I shake my head. "Who was that? How did he know me? Why is he so strong?"  
"I don't know," she answers.

"Save me from this hell, Dawn," I whisper.

"I'll always be with you," she whispers to me.

I smile and stand up. "Let's go."

I start walking towards the exit of the cave.

When we exit, I see the city in the distance. Dawn and I cheer and start running towards it, motivated by food and rest. We reach the outskirts of the city and nearly collapse in exhaustion. We sit in front of a building as we wait for the other two. I shiver as the chill in the air sets in. Dawn pulls me closer to her, warming me both externally and internally. "Thanks," I state, smiling.

"Any time."

I nod and we both stand up. I gaze on at Roark and Barry entering the city. "We're hungry!" I shout.

"Then go to a restaurant!" Roark scoffs as we walks up to us. "You're in a city. Get food anywhere. I'm taking a break."

Barry grins. "After we eat, I'm challenging the gym," he remarks.

I sigh. "I'm not going to yet."

I look at Dawn. "Want to go on a date?"  
She nods. "Sure," she sighs.

Barry walks off to the Pokémart to prepare for his battle. I look at Dawn. "Let's eat."

We start walking for the Pokémon Center to let our pokémon get restored while we are gone.

As we head to the Pokémon Center, we hold hands. We start walking to the north end the city, looking for somewhere to eat. She points to a café. "How about there?" she asks.

I nod. "Alright."

We are seated at a table across from each other. The waiter walks to us. "Hello! I'm Walt and I'll be your waiter today. What would you like to drink?"

I think. "Coffee," I finally say.

Dawn orders the same and Walt writes it down and gives us our menus. "Look through that and I'll be back with your drinks."

He walks off. I look back at Dawn, who is eyeing me. She grins. "I'll have eggs," she says. "You?"

"I'll have a skillet."

"I guess that's settled," she says.

We sit in silence for a while. We order our meals when Walt returns. Dawn sips from her coffee, I think of a topic to talk about. "It's a bit weird that we're having our first date after liking each other for nearly four months," Dawn says.

I nod. "Yeah."

I finally come up with a good topic to talk about. "So, what's your family like?"

Dawn sighs. "Dad works for Professor Rowan, that's why you saw me with him. My grandparents live with us, looking after my younger sister most of the time."

"What about your mom?"  
She looks at her coffee. "She died a few months after my sister was born. No correlation."  
I gasp. "Sorry. If it makes you feel any better, my Dad passed when I was little."

She smiles. "I guess that makes me feel a little bit better."

She sips from her coffee again. I finally pick mine up and drink. I flinch as my tongue is nearly set ablaze. I grab my water and drink from it. "Careful," she giggles. "It's hot!"  
I chuckle. "I don't have coffee very much."  
"I can tell. So what was your childhood like?"  
"I stayed in a tiny town for fourteen years with a single mother and my only friend. You?"

"Oh…"  
She stays silent for a moment. "That sounds incredibly boring."

"It is."

"I tried to follow in my father's footsteps."  
I think how that must be. "That sounds difficult."

She nods. "It's dreadful. I never really _wanted_ to work at the lab, but my Dad wanted me to."  
Our food arrives and we start eating. "So, what do you want to do after all this," she asks.

I take a bit of my food, thinking. I swallow. "I don't really know."

She smiles. "I want to be a Pokémon Coordinator."  
"Isn't there a Contest Hall here?"

She nods happily. "Yup. We can participate if you want."

"How about tomorrow if you feel up to it?"

She nods. "Yes. Today's about us not contests."

We finish eating and I pay the check. We walk in silence for a while. I think to myself. "We hardly know each other, now that I think about it," I say to her.

She thinks. "I know. We just kinda bonded."  
I take a deep breath and continue walking. Dawn stretches and yawns. "Tired?"  
"Yeah. It's the afternoon, but I don't necessarily get to sleep easily."  
"Insomnia?"  
"Anxiety… depression."  
I gasp. "Are you alright?"  
"When I'm near you I am. It's also, you know, puberty."  
I put my arm around her. "Don't feel like that, please?"  
I see her smile out of the corner of my eye. "I'll try."  
We sit on a bench while we think of something to do. I yawn. "Damn. You're making me tired now."

She giggles. "They _are_ contagious."  
I smile. "I know."  
We sit next to each other for a few minutes, then she leans into me. "Let's just talk."  
"Okay."  
"Do you have a favorite pokémon?" she asks.

"That's not fair! I can't choose one!"

She smiles. "I don't have a favorite either."

I think of a question. "What has been your most favorite moment on our journey?"  
She stays silent, thinking. She finally turns to me. "Last night, when we almost kissed."

"Want a do-over?" I ask, sarcastically.

She chuckles. "That's cute."  
"What's your favorite moment?" she asks me.

Now it's my turn to be silent. I think since our mission started. It's hard to think that four months have passed by already. The contest Dawn and I were in, our moment last night. I smile. "Right now," I whisper.

"What?"  
"Right now."  
She smiles. "I agree."  
We sit with each other for hours, forgetting the passage of time. We only notice when the sky starts changing colors. Dawn gets up. "Let's get a better view," she says.

I nod and we run to Amity Park. We go through the gate and run up the hill. The elevation lets us see the horizon. She sits down and pats the ground next to her. I sit and watch the sunset with her. The vivid oranges, reds, and yellow reflect off of a lake. They almost make the world seem so calm. Dawn puts her hand on top of mine. "This is nice," she says.

"I know. It's beautiful."  
"Not the sunset. Today has been beautiful. It almost makes me forget about the threat facing us."

"Don't remind me," I state, grinning.

The colors vanish over the horizon, leaving the world in near darkness. A full moon reflects off of the water in front of us. I turn around and look at the sphere. Dawn does the same. I look at her. Dawn at dusk. Who would've thought. Dawn smiles as she watches the moon. She takes a deep breath. "I'll take that do-over."  
She looks at me and smiles. "Are you okay with that?" she asks, lovingly.

I nod. "I'm ready for it."

Her smile grows a bit. She moves her head closer to me. I inch mine towards her. We close our eyes, not expecting anything big. I feel her flinch a tiny bit when our lips touch. She puts her arms around me as we exchange our first real kiss. I embrace her back. Seconds feel like hours as we are connected. I feel a liquid on my cheeks. I realize it's her tears. We finally back away from each other. I see the tears on her cheeks glistening in the moonlight. She's smiling. I lie on the ground, relaxing. She gets up. I'm am about to, but she sits in front of me with her back to me. She scoots towards me and lies down with her head on my chest. "Is this okay?" she asks.

"It's wonderful."

She puts her hands on her stomach. I embrace her, gently laying my hands on hers. We sit in silence as we lay there, oblivious to anything and anyone else. "Never leave me," she mumbles.

"I will never leave you Dawn. Never in my entire life."

"Chris…"

"Yes?"  
"It feels nice." I can tell she's grinning.

"What does?"

She doesn't answer, she just scoots off of me and lies next to me. She looks at me and kisses me again. "You," she mutters.

She puts her arms around me and falls asleep. Her warmth also makes my eyelids heavy. Her chest slowly pushes against me then moves away. I don't care. All I care about is having her with me. "I love you Dawn. With all of my heart," I whisper to myself.


	16. Chapter 16

Chapter 16: The Second Contest

I am shaken awake by Roark. I feel Dawn's arms around me still. I squint at Roark, still exhausted. "I've been looking for you guys," he says, exhaustion in his voice.

The moon is right above us. He hands two belts with pokéballs to me. "You could've at least picked up your pokémon."

I sit up, carefully moving Dawn's arms. She shivers, still asleep. I kneel over and push on her side. "Wake up."  
She doesn't stir. I sigh. I kiss her, hoping to wake her. She doesn't wake up, though. I look at Roark. "This will be difficult."  
I nod and start lifting up Dawn. Roark helps me put her on my back. I hold her legs up and her unconscious body puts its entire weight on my back. I start walking with Roark to the Pokémon Center. About halfway there, I start feeling fatigued. "Carrying an unconscious person," I grunt. "Is fucking terrible."

He chuckles. "I'm sure."  
We reach the Pokémon Center finally. I get a room for Dawn and I, earning a weird look from Nurse Joy. She shakes her head and has me scan my Pokédex on a pad. I carry her to the room and reach the bed. I carefully lay her down on the bed. Suddenly, she scoots over and opens her eyes. "Thanks for the ride."

I glare at her. "How long were you awake?"

"When you kissed me."

She smiles. "Kiss me again."  
I sigh and climb into bed with her. I kiss her once more. When I move back to lay down, she throws her arms around me and starts kissing me again. She moves over and lays on top of me. She stops kissing and smiles at me. "Can we make out… if it's alright with you?"  
I sigh, giving in. "Sure, but you have to get in some pajamas."

She smiles, nodding. I get up with her and we both change into pajamas. When we climb in bed, we embrace each other. Her face turns red as she starts kissing me. She pushes against me. I pull her closer to me. She pulls back and catches her breath. I smile. "Got it out of your system?"  
She shakes her head, going back in for more. We kiss for minutes more, letting ourselves get it out of us. She finally stops and lies down, smiling at me. "Thanks, Chris."

I kiss her on the cheek. "Good night."

"Night, hun," she replies.

We fall asleep in each other's arms.

I wake up to see Dawn finishing up getting dressed. "What were you going to do if I saw you naked?" I ask.

She jumps around, frightened. "Oh, um… I don't know."  
She's wearing her contest dress. "I'll get ready," I say, getting up.

"Better hurry. Registration ends in an hour."

I nod and grab my tuxedo.

Dawn and I walk to the desk at the Contest Hall. We enter backstage and wait patiently. The couple from last time is sitting across from us. They smile. "You two again," the man says happily. "You ready this time?"  
Dawn shrugs. "This is the more popular Contest Hall so, it's impossible to say. We've practiced a new routine though."

I nod. "We're prepared."  
Dawn leans into me, smiling.

"Are you two a couple?"

I hesitate, but Dawn nods. "For a couple months."  
I smile. The woman nods. "I can't wait to see another couple's routine."  
They stand up when their names are called. I didn't quite hear their names. "Good luck," I say to them.

Dawn nods in agreement and they leave. We watch the screen. The two walk to the center of the stage and throw their pokéballs upward. Two pokémon, polar opposites, appear. An Umbreon flips out of a spiral of white sparks and an Espeon spins through a black mist, spiraling it with Psychic. The two pokémon land next to each other and intertwine their tails. The pokémon and masters smile. The crowd cheers. Dawn stares in awe at the screen. "Amazing."  
The Umbreon and Espeon jump back from each other. Umbreon uses Dark Pulse and Espeon uses Psywave. The attacks weave around each other with enough accuracy that they don't eliminate each other's attacks. The ring of alternate forces of nature spiral towards the ground. When it finally touches the floor, the attack explodes in a flash of light sending sparkles upwards from the ground, illuminating the stage. The light fades and the crowd explodes with excitement. Dawn and I stare in awe at the display. "Next up, the winners of the previous contest, Dawn Berlitz and Chris Moore!"

We stand up and walk to the stage, passing by the other two. "Good luck," the woman says.

Dawn and I stand in the center of the circular stage. We both take a deep breath simultaneously. "Here goes," I whisper.

I grab my pokéball and throw it upwards. Dawn does the same. Eevee and Buizel appear. Eevee uses Attract as soon as the ball opens, making it seem like I have a capsule. Hearts fly around the area. Buizel uses Aqua Ring, forming four rings around himself, then uses Aqua Jet. He flies around the area, shrinking the rings and tossing them in the four corners of the stage. Eevee's Attract disappears. Buizel's Aqua Jet is causing mist to fall on the stage. Eevee uses Dazzling Gleam, making the water droplets shine as they fall to the ground beneath the two of us. Dawn and I hold hands and raise our intertwined hands up. The crowd just stares at the display. Buizel fires Bubblebeam at the rings, which capture the balls of water. Buizel nears the ground and Eevee jumps onto his back, riding him around. Buizel swims towards the rings. Eevee uses Iron Tail on the tops of the bubbles, creating a fountain from the exposed side. Water rains on the stage. Eevee jumps from Buizel's back and dives towards the stage. Buizel spiral to the ground around her. Eevee flips around and lands on her feet. Buizel uses Water Gun and spins around as he lands. He stops spraying water, which turns into mist. As the mist starts clearing, Dawn and I form a heart with our arms. The Contest Hall sits in silence for a full minute. Finally, they cheer louder than I've ever heard them cheer. Dawn and I put our arms on our sides, then bow. Eevee and Buizel run towards us. Eevee jumps into my arms and Buizel into Dawn's. We walk backstage and sit on the bench. Eevee and Buizel look at the Umbreon and Espeon. The couple in front of us smiles at us. "You did incredible," the man says.

"Thanks," I reply happily.

"You know," Dawn states. "I've never asked for your names."

The man chuckles. "Oh, right."  
The man's blue hair peeks from the bottom of his hat. The woman has free flowing pink hair. The lady speaks first. "My name's Jessie."

The man speaks next. "I'm James."

"We were members of Team Rocket," they say in unison. "We left when it fell apart and got married."

James sighs. "Memories."

Jessie smiles. "We moved to Sinnoh afterwards and have lived here since."  
Umbreon and Espeon lay down, cuddled together. "We always wanted to participate in contests, so we trained specifically for that," James says. "We both caught Eevees and raised them into the pokémon you see here. I have quite a knack for befriending pokémon."

"It's true. I've never seen anyone do it since."  
"I've done that with all of my pokémon," I say. "I always asked them if they wanted to join me."  
James smiles. "That's great, kid. Continue to do well."

Dawn is still shocked about Team Rocket. "Is Team Rocket like Team Galactic?"  
"Team Galactic?" Jessie asks. "Who are they?"  
"A vile group of people who want to do nothing but recreate the universe as they see fit," I growl. "They want to play Arceus! No human should have that power."  
Dawn suddenly hugs me. "Calm down, please."  
I smile. "Okay."  
"You two are cute together," James says.

I nod, putting my arm around Dawn. "It is time for the Contest Battles!" the announcer says.

People are called for battles to determine who gets what rank. The battles are for 8th and 7th, 6th and 5th, 4th and 3rd, and, finally, 2nd and 1st. An hour passes before we reach the 4th and 3rd battles. Neither Jessie and James or Dawn and I are called. Jessie grins. "I guess that leaves us in the finals," she says.

James reaches out to me. "May the best one win."

I grabs his hand and shake it. "May the best one win."


	17. Chapter 17

Chapter 17: Vs. Jesse and James

Dawn and I walk out first. The crowd cheers as we step out, Eevee and Buizel following us. We walk to the right side of the battlefield. Jessie and James enter from backstage and step into the left side. Buizel and Eevee walk to the battlefield as Umbreon and Espeon do the same. We stare each other down. "The contest battle for first and second place starts now!"

Immediately, "Dark Pulse!"  
Umbreon fires the attack towards Eevee. I am too shocked to command. Eevee is hit and is pushed back a bit. Eevee growls. "Eevee, Iron Tail!"  
Eevee nods and dashes towards Espeon and jumps up. She spins in the air. Espeon steps to the side as Eevee crashes down. Espeon puts her guard down. "Now!"  
Eevee spins and the attack slams into Espeon, knocking her away. The psychic type stops herself in midair and floats to the ground. "Aqua Ring," Dawn says.

Buizel surrounds himself with four rings. "Psywave!" Jessie yells.

Espeon creates a spiral of psychic energy and blasts it towards Eevee with amazing speed. "Dodge!"  
Eevee jumps to the side, but the attack curves towards her. "We can change the direction of our attack, too."

"Protect!"  
Eevee forms a green barrier around her, blocking all damage. The colliding attacks creates sparks that fly through the air. Eevee drops the barrier and starts panting. "Aqua Jet!" Dawn shouts.

Buizel dashes towards Espeon, swimming in a spiral. "Moonlight!"  
Umbreon starts healing himself as Buizel rams him. Buizel flips backwards through the air, kicking up dirt as he lands.

We all hesitate to attack again. "How incredible!" Jessie shouts. "Another unbeatable duo."  
I grin. "This battle will be extravagant. I just know it."

"Feint Attack!" James commands.

Umbreon dashes forward, surrounded in a Dark Aura. I grin. "My ace-in-the-hole, Dazzling Gleam!"  
Eevee looks at Umbreon as he draws nearer and nearer. At point blank, Eevee shines brightly. Umbreon is blasted back, damaged heavily. I grin. "Gotta love Fairy types."  
Eevee turns back to me and smiles. I smile back. Eevee nods. James gasps as Umbreon struggles to get up. "Moonlight."  
Umbreon starts healing himself again. Dawn looks on at the damage caused by the one attack. Jessie, hesitant, commands Espeon to use Psychic. Buizel starts levitating. He is thrown from wall to wall and the attack doesn't relent. I look at Eevee. "Tackle!"  
Eevee dashes forward to Espeon. She has to break her focus. If not, Buizel is going down. Espeon jumps up as Eevee draws nearer. Eevee starts levitating. I gasp. "No!"  
Eevee and Buizel crash around the room. I watch in horror as our pokémon are put to the brink of consciousness. They are slammed into each other, helpless. "Now, finish them," James says. "Feint Attack!"  
Umbreon dashes forward, surrounding himself in a dark aura again. He slams into our pokémon. Eevee and Buizel crash into the side of the arena. Dirt flies up, covering the two.

As the dust settles, I see Eevee, barely conscious, standing up. Buizel is knocked out. "Eevee!" I shout.

Eevee smiles. "Eevee…" she says, confident.

She closes her eyes and runs to the battlefield. She uses Iron Tail. "Vee," she says, looking back at me.

I nod. "Go."

Eevee runs forward, Jessie and James watch as our futile attempt at winning draws nearer and nearer. "Finish her off, Espeon."  
Espeon walks in front of Eevee. She stares down at the puny pokémon. Eevee glares back, confidence and determination stirring inside of her.

[Eevee's POV]

"What are you doing?" Espeon says. "You know you aren't going to win."  
"I know I can't," I reply. "It's the thought that I might that keeps me going. It pushes me through the pain. It lets me forget what happened in Kalos!"  
Espeon shakes her head. "This can't go on any longer."  
Espeon's eyes glow and I feel feeling leave me, but before that happens, I spin. She is sent flying, not expecting my sudden movement. "This is determination in it's purest form!" I shout.

I run forward, jumping up and landing on Espeon tail first. The breath is knocked out of her and she is knocked out. I glare at Umbreon. His master stares at me in horror. He looks towards Chris, who is equally as surprised. "What is she?!"  
I grin, running towards Umbreon. I stop using Iron Tail and summon the last bit of energy I have into a Dazzling Gleam! Umbreon is pushed back several feet. We both pant as we both struggle to remain conscious. I feel myself hit the ground, grunting as I try to pick myself up. "Not yet," I say.

I hear a body hit the ground. I open my eyes and see Umbreon. He's passed out in the dirt. I take several deep breaths. I am picked up. I feel Chris's arms around me. I rest my head on him. "Thank you," I say. "Thank you for saving me."

I pass out.

[Chris's POV]

I walk back to Dawn, holding Eevee's unconscious body. Dawn is carrying the semi-conscious Buizel. She takes out a Super Potion and sprays Buizel's wounds. I pull a small yellow stone from my pocket. I set Eevee down and put it in her mouth. She opens her eyes and smiles at me. "Eevee!"  
"Yes, we did it!"

Eevee wags her tail and rests her head on my thigh. She jumps up to my arms and climbs onto my shoulder. I feel her tail wagging. Dawn and I walk over to Jessie and James, who are getting their pokémon healed. Eevee jumps down to their pokémon.

[Eevee's POV]

I look up at two of my evolutions. "No hard feelings?" I ask.

Umbreon smiles. "No problem. I couldn't have beaten you if I wanted to. That move… Fairy types are not my favorite," he states, frowning.

Espeon glares at me. "How are you so strong?" she asks.

I shrug. "I don't know," I say smiling.

"You're so immature. I guess that's why you get along with my mate so well. You're only just a cub."  
I nod. "So?"  
"This isn't right. We should be the ones protecting you, but here you are. You're rising above the norms."

I sigh. "My family died years ago. I've probably experienced more than any cub should."  
Umbreon gasps. "That's terrible!"

Umbreon bends down so his head is near the ground. "Can we keep her? Please?"  
Espeon glares at her mate. "What's up with you today?"  
Umbreon groans. Espeon sighs. "We already have a cub on the way."  
My jaw nearly touches the ground. "Sorry! If I had known you were pregnant…!"  
She chuckles. "It's okay. Just… follow your master."

"My master… Chris?"  
"You call him by name?"

"I call James by his name, though," Umbreon says quietly.

"What's wrong with that?" I ask.

"You are a very peculiar Eevee. A strong cub, fond of your master… You are just full of surprises."  
Espeon walks towards her master, silent as the night. Umbreon walks to me. "Well, sorry about that. It might just be the pregnancy. It's hard to tell with her."

He puts his paw on my head. "Do the best you can. Never give up. Do what you did today through your whole life."  
I smile. He steps back and smiles. "See you around."  
I nod and walk back to Chris. "Bye."  
[Chris's POV]

I shake James's hand again. "Thank you for the battle," he says.

"You too."  
Eevee climbs onto my shoulder again. He groans. "That Eevee sure is something."  
I nod, petting Eevee. "I know. She's my most reliable pokémon. Her attitude in battle is unlike my other pokémon. She fights like her life is on the line."

Eevee puts her head down as if she's remembering something. "Where did you find her?" Jessie asks.

"Eterna City. She was running from a man who was trying to capture her. She ran to me immediately. She trusted me."

Eevee nods. "Vee."  
I chuckle. "She really is something."

"We will now hand out the prizes," the announcer says.

We all turn. "For second place, a silver ribbon will be added to your collection."

A silver ribbon is given to Jessie and James. "And for first place, a gold ribbon for each of you. And also, the Champion wants to speak to the four of you."  
We all look at each other.

We are led by the main judge to a room with a table, snacks, and seven chairs, one for each of of us. Barry, Roark, and Cynthia and sitting down. The judge leaves the room, congratulating us one more time. We sit down and look at Cynthia. Something is bothering her. Jessie and James are confused. Cynthia clears her throat. I let my pokémon out, with the exception of Uxie. Dawn does the same. "Welcome, Jessie and James. Are you willing to participate in this journey?"  
"Journey? What are we doing?" Jessie asks.

"We are taking on Team Galactic."

"Why us though?" James questions. "Surely you know of our background."  
"I am well aware of your affiliations with Team Rocket. But that little mafia is nothing compared to the catastrophic power of Team Galactic."

She turns to the rest of us. "Now to the matter at hand. We have identified the leader of the organization."

"Who is it?" Barry asks without hesitation.  
"His name is Cyrus. He has spiked-up, blue hair and a devilish stare. He typically wears a variation of the Team Galactic uniform."

I gasp as I recollect the man I saw in Mount Coronet. "I met him," I murmur. "In Mount Coronet. He terrified me to my core. I could _feel_ his strength."  
"He is not a man to be trifled with. He is deadly and dangerous. There is a reason the Lake Trio wanted you to defeat the gyms first."

I grit my teeth. James closes his eyes and stands up. "I don't think we can do this."  
Jessie gasps. "What?"  
"We have our lives at stake," he says.

"Did I mention he is going to destroy the world in two and half years?" Cynthia says. "Even if you leave, he will still destroy everything if we fail."  
James stops. "Why didn't you say that first?"  
Cynthia sighs. "I wanted your agreement first."

James doesn't move. "Jessie?"  
"Yes?"

"What do you think?"

She stays silent. James takes a deep breath. "We'll do it."

I smile. "Nice to have you on our side."

"We aren't going to travel with you, though," James says. "I apologize if that was what you were planning, Cynthia."  
"It wasn't. I was expecting that. You don't work with anyone except Jessie, someone you know well."

"I better know her, she's my wife."  
"We have to challenge the gym tomorrow, then we can leave Hearthome," I say.

Cynthia nods. "Have a nice day."

We all leave. Dawn and I take off our contest clothes and fall on the bed. We get under the blanket and cuddle. Dawn immediately blushes. "We're in our underwear."  
I smile. "I don't care right now. We can put on pajamas if you want to."  
She gets up. I follow her and throw on some shorts and a shirt. Dawn goes into the bathroom. "I'm going to take a shower. You get in after me, okay?"

I nod. "Alright."  
She goes in and closes the door. Eevee walks across the bed to me. She lies down next to me. " _Thank you,_ " I hear a female voice say.

I jump back, shocked. Eevee looks around. " _That worked?!_ "  
I sit up. "Did you just talk to me?" I whisper.

Eevee nods. "How?"  
" _I don't know either, but this is making me a bit tired,_ "  
"I guess it puts a strain on you when you talk like that."

She nods. " _I don't really understand how this is working, but I'm glad it does._ "

I nod. "Me too."  
Eevee yawns. " _Good night, Chris._ "

"Night, Eevee."  
She curls into a ball at my feet and falls asleep. Dawn walks in and starts getting dressed. I go to the bathroom and get in the shower. I think about the future and the contest. Cyrus still haunts my mind. A chill goes up my spine. I shake off the feeling and focus on getting sleep.

I climb in bed, dressed in pajamas. I put my arm around Dawn, who smiles. I fall asleep quickly.


	18. Chapter 18

Chapter 18: Hearthome City Gym

Dawn, Barry, and I walk into the gym. Roark decided to spend the day on his own. I see a lady in a purple dress at one end of the battlefield. "I am Fantina," she says. "Welcome to the Hearthome City Gym."  
I step up to the battlefield. "I will be your first challenger. My name is Chris."  
Barry goes to the bleachers. He already beat her. I smile as she throws a pokéball. A Duskull appears floating above the battleground. I look at my feet. Eevee nods and runs out to the battlefield. "Quite brave," Fantina states. "Using a Normal type in a Ghost type gym."

I nod. "I'm not your usual trainer."  
Eevee and Duskull glare at each other. The referee stands at the side of the field. "Let the battle between Chris and Fantina commence. Round one, Eevee vs. Duskull."

He chops the air. "Begin!"  
"Pursuit!"

"Protect."  
The Ghost type bounces off the barrier put up by Eevee. "Iron Tail."  
Eevee runs forward. She hits Duskull repeatedly. Eevee jumps back, landing by me. " _We're doing it!_ " she shouts excitedly.

I nod. "Let's go. Dazzling Gleam!"  
Eevee runs forward and jumps in front of Duskull. As she brightens, a small ball of flame hits her. "Will-O-Wisp?!"

Duskull faints after the light from Eevee fades. Eevee limps back to me. " _It hurts…_ "  
She lifts her right paw. I hold it. A burn is seared on her leg. "Do you want to sit out?"  
She shakes her head, holding back tears. " _I can do this!_ "  
She blows on her burn, lessening the pain inflicted on her. She turns around. " _Let's go, Chris._ "  
I nod. The referee points his arm at me. "The round goes to Chris. Round two begins now!"  
Fantina throws her second pokéball to the field. A Haunter appears. Eevee is constant pain. I nod. "I believe in you, Eevee!"  
She surrounds herself in a white aura, then dashes forward. "Quick Attack? That won't affect him!"  
She continues towards Haunter, ignoring her pain. She jumps through the Ghost type, but uses Iron Tail as her tail passes through. Haunter is sent flying upward and Eevee lands on the ground. Her right paw hits the ground first. She yelps in pain and falls to the ground. " _Chris!_ "

I gasp. "Eevee!"  
She slides across the ground for a few feet before she stops. Haunter looks at the small pokémon and laughs. Eevee shakes as she stands up. She turns around and stares at the levitating Ghost. "Eevee," she says to him.

"Haunt, haunt!" Haunter replies.

Eevee steps forward, but falls down again. I see tears in her eyes. " _Chris, I can't move._ "

I sigh and walk to the battlefield. I pick up Eevee and carry her to the sidelines. "Eevee is unable to battle. The round goes to Fantina!"  
I set Eevee on my bag. I grab a pokéball from my belt and look at Haunter. "I'll fight fire with fire," I say.

I throw the pokéball, releasing Rotom into the battle. Rotom grins and stares down Haunter. Fantina grins. "Let's start. Shadow Claw!"

Haunter dashes forward and scratches. "Dodge."  
Rotom speeds backwards, narrowly dodging the attack. "Ominous Wind!"  
Rotom shouts his name and Haunter is blown back, hit with the powerful move. "Thunder Wave!"  
Rotom sends a jolt of electricity to Haunter, paralyzing him. "Haunter!" Fantina yells.

"Shadow Sneak," I say.

Rotom disappears and reappears behind Haunter, ramming him. Haunter falls to the ground. He rises up slowly and glares at the grinning Rotom. "Shock Wave," I say.

"Hypnosis."  
Haunter raises his arm to Rotom. Rotom is caught in a trance and falls asleep. He drifts to the ground, leaving him open to attack. "Shadow Claw. Repeatedly!"  
Haunter dashes forward and scratches at the Electric-Ghost type furiously. "Wake up!"

Rotom gives no response. He hits the ground. I look at him. He is unconscious. "Rotom is unable to battle. The round goes to Fantina."  
I drop to my knees. "No."

I return Rotom and grab another pokéball. I throw it. Piplup stands in the field, ready for battle. "Go. Whirlpool."  
Piplup jumps up and creates a vortex of water above her. "Pip!"

She throws it down at Haunter. "Lup!"  
Haunter is trapped in his watery grave as he is slammed with the pressure. Haunter drops to the ground when the whirlpool disappears, unconscious. Fantina returns Haunter and grabs her last pokéball. "Go, Mismagius!"  
A Mismagius appears before us. Her strongest pokémon. The battle is just beginning. Piplup readies up and growls. "Shadow Ball!"

Mismagius creates a dark orb in front of her and fires it forward. Piplup is too slow to dodge it and is hit with the full force of the attack. I gasp as Piplup slams into the ground. "Piplup!"  
"It's over," Fantina says. "Psybeam!"  
Her pokémon fires a beam of psychic energy at Piplup. Piplup shouts in pain as she is ravaged by the power of the attack. She drops to one knee, still awake. I see her get to both feet, albeit shakily. Piplup fires a Bubblebeam at her dealing minimal damage. Mismagius readies another Shadow Ball. Piplup charges another Bubblebeam. They both fire their attacks, stopping them in their paths. I grit my teeth as Piplup's attack is being pushed back at her. Suddenly, Piplup is enveloped in a blinding, white light. Fantina gasps as Piplup grows and changes her shape. A Prinplup is where Piplup was. The Bubblebeam pushes the Shadow Ball back at Mismagius. She fires more Shadow Balls, but to no avail. They all explode is her face as the attacks collide on her. The dust settles, revealing Mismagius on the floor, knocked out. "The battle is over. The match goes to Chris and Prinplup!"

Fantina smiles and returns Mismagius. She walks to me from across the field. She opens a case. "You've earned this," she says.

I grab a badge with three purple orbs arranged in an upside-down triangle. They are connected by a white circle. "This is the Relic Badge. Good luck on the rest of your journey."  
I nod and shake her hand. "Thank you."  
She smiles again and hands me a bottle of something. "What is this?"

"Burn Heal."  
I thank her and use it on Eevee's leg. The burn vanishes and she starts walking immediately. " _Thank her for me, Chris,_ " she says.

I turn to Fantina. "She says thanks."

"What?"  
"I can talk to her through her mind or something like that."  
"Really?"

She observes me. "There's more to you than meets the eye, isn't there?"  
I shrug. "Maybe."  
I head to the bleachers. Dawn challenges the gym and wins quickly. Afterwards, we start heading away from Hearthome City. We are ready for the next challenge our journey brings.


	19. Chapter 19

Chapter 19: Rise of Darkrai

Author's Note: This is the only chapter that I will be doing from the anime. Don't expect much else coming solely from the anime. This is in here because it is my favorite pokémon movie to date.

The three of us walk down the path. Dawn and I are holding hands and Barry walks beside us with Grotle. I look into Dawn's eyes. She's so adorable. "Alright, love birds. We're an hour away from Alamos Town."

I look at Barry. "Great, so we're almost there."

He smiles. "I can't believe I'm finally going to this place. I've heard so much about it."

He starts to run off. "Hey! Wait up!" I yell, taking off after him.

"Here we go again," Dawn groans.

[An hour later]

I trudge along the path when I see a lake surrounding a town on a hill. We all gasp as we see a huge tower near the center of town. It has two towers rising up on either side of it. As usual, Barry takes off, leaving us behind. "Last one there's a rotten egg!"

I smile at Dawn. She sends out Kirlia. Kirlia smiles. " _What is it, Dawn?_ "

"Use Psychic on Barry to freeze him in place."

Kirlia nods and holds her hands to her head. "Kir-LI-A!"

Barry stops dead in his tracks. Dawn and I run past him, Kirlia snickering at him on our way through. Barry gives us a death stare as we pass by. "I'll get you for this!"

After a two minute head start, Kirlia releases Barry from her psychic grip. In about a minute, Barry passes us up. Kirlia sighs, not wanting to stop him again. Prinplup seems eager to start off. "Go ahead, Prinplup."

Prinplup looks at me excitedly. "Prin, prin."

She starts off down the path. Staravia flies faster as well. "They seem eager to get going."

Kirlia teleports to sit on Dawn's shoulder. " _Not me,_ " the psychic type says.

Dawn and I hold each other's hands again. " _You two are so cute together,_ " Kirlia, Mesprit, and Uxie say.

My face gets hot immediately after they say that. Dawn is blushing as well. We pick up the pace as we see Barry looking at the lake. We run down the hill and see no way to the city. We all sigh. I release Dawn's hand and open my map. "We're on the wrong side."

"What?!" Barry says, agitated.

"Do you want a lift?" I hear from up above.

It's a woman's voice. I look up and see a woman and Chimchar in a hot air balloon waving at us. I nod. "Yeah."

The hot air balloon lands and we all get on. Kirlia stays on Dawn's shoulder and I hold onto the side of the basket, afraid. Dawn looks at me, worried. "Are you okay?"

"I only said yes because I didn't want to walk. Otherwise, I would've walked. I do NOT like heights."

Dawn giggles. The woman looks at us. "My name is Alice. I'm a tour guide here in Alamos Town."

"I'm glad we're finally here."

I hear Uxie in my head. " _I do not feel Team Plasma here. Can I come out?"_

I nod, confusing Alice. I throw Uxie's pokéball into the air. Uxie appears in front of us, observing the landscape. Alice watches in awe as Uxie flies around the balloon. "Is that a Uxie?" she says.

Uxie looks back. " _Yes. I am the Legendary Pokémon, Uxie._ "

Uxie looks at Dawn and Barry, who release the rest of the Lake Trio. All three Legendary Pokémon fly around looking around at the area and pokémon. Uxie suddenly raises her arms in defense with the other two. I hear a boom, which shakes the balloon. I scream and put my arms around Dawn, afraid of falling. I hear Dawn's breathing as I hold her. Dawn hugs back. Kirlia giggles when I start to take notice of my surroundings. I let go of Dawn, blushing a deep red. "Sorry…"

"It's okay. You're my boyfriend."

Alice looks at us, worried. "Are you hurt?"

"We're fine."

"I believe it was the wind, but I'm not entirely sure."

Uxie drifts towards us. She shakes her head. " _I'm not sure what it was, but it wasn't the wind._ "

Mesprit and Azelf agree. "Well, how about I give you a tour of the city for your troubles."

"On the ground?" I asks.

She laughs. "Of course."

I sigh in relief. "No more flying in this thing!"

A few minutes later, we are on the ground and walking through the city. We let out all of our pokémon, including the Lake Trio, amazing people as we stroll through the city. A few trainers challenge us to battles. Eevee looks at a Torterra and wags his tail. He jumps on the pokémon's back and rests under the tree growing on it. It's trainer smiles as he challenges me to a battle. He wants to fight my Uxie, since it is my strongest pokémon. Uxie wins, not surprisingly, but she at least gave Torterra a chance. Uxie and Torterra had fun fighting each other. Even though the Torterra was giving it's all, Uxie had to hold back a lot of her power. There are also two trainers with an Infernape and an Empoleon, Monferno's and Prinplup's final evolutions. We are outside the tower we saw from outside the town. "This is the Space-Time Tower," Alice explains. The tower on the right represents time and the tower on the left represents space."

I look up. The Time tower has a blue circle on it and the Space tower has a pink circle on it. "They represent Palkia and Dialga, right? Their powers cause time and space to flow as intricately as the architecture of the building."

Everyone is surprised at my wording. "I would believe so, seeing as the Temporal and Spatial Pokémon do control time and space," Alice says.

She leads us to a rather large garden full of pokémon. "This is my most favorite place in all of Alamos Town. The garden. The garden and tower were constructed by Godey, a great architect and scientist."

I look in awe at the pokémon running, swimming, and flying about. Luxio, Rotom, Prinplup, Staravia, and Eevee run ahead to play with the pokémon. Dawn's Pachirisu, Buneary, Monferno, and Buizel go ahead. Barry's Grotle, Staravia, and Ponyta run ahead as well. Kirlia and the Legendary Pokémon stay with us. " _They sure are excited,_ " Kirlia says.

"You can join them if you want to, Kirlia."

" _I'm good here._ "

We walk through the garden and eventually find ourselves looking across the lake and to Mount Coronet. "We've come far to see this place," I say.

"You can say that again," Barry replies.

I watch as Pidgeys and many other flying types float across the sky. I smile at the sight. "Prinplup!" I hear her say angrily.

I look over at the pokémon. They are all fighting. I gasp along with Dawn as we rush down to stop their bickering before it gets out of hand. But before that happens I hear a song by Alice.

[Song: Pokémon Oracion (leaf instrument)]

I find myself lost as I turn back. The music echoes through the garden as Alice holds a leaf up to her mouth. Her eyes are closed as she plays the soothing melody. I close my eyes and smile as the music calms everyone down. I look at the pokémon. They are looking at Alice happily as she finishes the song.

[Song End]

We walk up to Alice to thank her. "Alice," Barry says.

She shakes her head. "No need to thank me."

I see a pokémon approaching. A Gallade lands in front of us. "Gallade!"

Alice looks at it. "What is it?"

Gallade motions his arms back to where he came from. "Gallade! Gal, gal."

We follow Gallade after we return our pokémon except for Monferno, Prinplup, Staravia, Kirlia, and the Legendaries. We stop at a shelter where two pillars are knocked over. The area where they are damaged is contorted to hell. "Damn," Barry says.

"Who could have done this?" Dawn asks.

"It was Darkrai," a deep, male voice says. A man wearing stylish clothes walks out of the shelter. He walks over to Alice. "That 'thing' caused this to occur."

"Why do think it's Darkrai who did this, Alberto?"

Alberto chuckles. "It must be him. Who else could do this kind of damage?"

"Who's Darkrai?" Barry asks.

I turn to him in disbelief. I pull out my Pokédex and show him a picture of the pokémon in question. He stares at it for a while before I play the entry. "Darkrai. The Pitch-Black Pokémon. To protect itself, it afflicts those around it with nightmares. However, it means no harm."

Alberto laughs. "'No harm?'"

He points to the pillars. "Does this look like 'no harm' to you?"

"It didn't hurt anybody."

"That's not my point!"

I hear rustling in the leaves. We look over. "Darkrai," Alberto says, happily.

He throws a pokéball into the air, sending out a Lickylicky. It appears and sticks out it's long tongue. "Lickylicky, use Hyper Beam."

It opens it's mouth and fires an orange beam at the bushes. After the beam disappears, a man walks out of the bushes. "What did you go and do that for?" he says, crashing into a tree.

The man, who introduces himself to be Tonio, shows us that the time-space continuum is under lots of stress. Alberto walks over to Alice. "This sounds a lot like Darkrai. Right, love?"

Alice scoffs at him. "What's the matter? I mean, we are to be married."

As Alice scolds Alberto, I go over to Tonio. "Who is this guy?"

"Oh, that's Baron Alberto."

"He seems like a jerk."

"I'll say," Dawn remarks.

Alice moves away from Alberto and wraps her arms around Tonio's. "It's Tonio I like."

Alberto laughs. "You can deny it all you like, but you'll come back."

Dawn steps forward. "Hey, don't you get it? No means no!"

Alberto chuckles again. "Why don't you run along. You don't understand."

Uxie growls and flies in front of Alberto. She grabs him in a psychic hold and moves him away from Alice. " _And stay away. She doesn't like you the way you like her!_ "

Alberto comes back however, angering Uxie even more. "Just because you're a Legendary Pokémon, doesn't mean I have to listen to you."

Uxie sighs and moves away. " _There's just no winning with you, is there?_ "

I hear stone splitting behind me. I see a path and a stone vase sliding apart. The clouds cover the sun as a shadow appears on the ground.

[Song: Enter Darkrai]

A figure rises out of the ground. It is mostly black, but has red around it's neck and has wavy white hair on it's head. Only one of it's blue eyes is visible, as the other is behind his hair. I gasp as I realize what pokémon I'm looking at. "The Pitch-Black Pokémon," I say.

"Darkrai," Alberto says, sending out Lickylicky.

"Use Gyro Spin."

Lickylicky spins like a top towards Darkrai. Darkrai easily dodges and holds it's arms up, creating a dark ball. " _Go away…_ " he says.

He throws the ball at us. Lickylicky dodges, causing the ball to hit me. I scream as I lose consciousness.

I awake in the garden with no one around. "Dawn? Barry?"

I look around, seeing no one. "Prinplup! Staravia!"

My heart rate picks up. "Uxie?!"

I see Darkrai appear from the shadows. I tremble in fear. "Where are they?"

No answer. "I said…"

I'm cut off by Darkrai. " _Go away!_ "

He disappears and a giant cloud of darkness takes his place. The beast moves in front of me. My heart rate picks up drastically. The cloud disappears and the ground splits open. I scream as I fall into darkness.

[Song End]

I jolt awake. I sit up quickly. Nurse Joy looks at me startled. "Are you okay?" she says quietly.

"I'm fine."

She shushes me and points behind me. Dawn, Barry, and our pokémon are sleeping behind me. I nod. "Darkrai hit you with Dark Void, sending you into a nightmare."

"How long was I out?"

"Only for the night. It's 6:30 in the morning right now. Your friends should be waking up soon."

I smile and get out of the bed. "Thanks Nurse Joy."

"No problem."

She looks at me, shocked for a moment, but shakes her head. "What?" I ask.

"I thought your eyes were glowing for a minute."

"Glowing?"

"It's okay. It was just my imagination."

I nod and wait for the others to wake up.

In a few hours, everyone's awake and we head to the Space-Time Tower with Alice. We end up in Tonio's lab underneath the tower. Tonio is asleep on the floor, but we wake him up. We see some disks on the table. "What are these?" Dawn asks.

"Those are music disks. We play them using the tower's bells."

She smiles. "That sounds cool! Can I try?" she asks, picking up a disk.

Tonio seems uneasy. "If you want."

[30 minutes later]

We are panting as we walk up the stairs to the very top of the tower. "Me and my big mouth," Dawn says, panting.

I sigh and keep walking.

After a while, we get in the hot air balloon and fly to the top. There, we find a machine with five slots to put the disks in, with the one in the middle empty. Tonio steps on a pedal, ejecting the disk on bottom. "Put the disk in and we'll start it up."

Alice takes the current disk out and Dawn replaces it with the disk she brought up. I bring out my Pokédex and record for Professor Rowan. Alice pulls a lever to activate the machine. A song plays throughout the town for a few moments. We move our bodies along with the song. "This tower is also the world's largest musical instrument."

I nod. "That's pretty cool."

After the song ends, we head down in the hot air balloon. I don't like it, but it's better than walking. I click the stop button on my Pokédex without looking. When we walk out of the tower, the three trainers we battled yesterday challenge us again. We smile and accept. In the middle of our battles, a large bang sounds through the town.

[Song: Enter Darkrai]

I look up at the sky, which is glowing purple. We all gasp as the glowing disappears. I look around and see a shadow. I gasp as Darkrai rises out from the ground. " _Go away._ " he says, bringing his arms up.

He uses Dark Void, which fires the attack everywhere. The attack hits several pokémon, putting them to sleep. We all start to attack him, but he puts our pokémon to sleep. I look at my Staravia as it twitches, having a nightmare. "Return."

Dawn does the same with her Buizel. We chase Darkrai down an alleyway. Dawn and I send Monferno and Prinplup to fight Darkrai. "Use Mach Punch!" Dawn yells.

"Use Bubble Beam!"

The pokémon use their attacks, but Darkrai uses Double Team, not allowing us to hit him. The Baron steps in front of us and sends out Lickylicky. "Use Gyro Ball!"

Lickylicky twirls like a top and approaches Darkrai. Monferno and Prinplup come back to us quickly. Darkrai brings his arm up. " _Dark Void!_ "

Lickylicky is hit with the attack, being put to sleep. The Baron checks on Lickylicky before Darkrai disappears into the shadows. "Damn it!" I yell. "Why is Darkrai doing this?!"

"I don't know, but…"

Dawn looks at me funny. "What?!"

She opens her mouth slightly surprised. I look around. "What is it?"

"Your hands."

I look down. They're glowing blue. "What?"

"Your eyes are blue, too."

She looks into my eyes, making me blush, but all that's in her eyes are fear. I turn around to see a translucent Bibarel fly through a wall. Baron starts shifting as well. He transforms into a Lickylicky. "Uh… Baron?"  
"What is it?"

"Your body."

He look down at his body and gasps. "What happened to me?!"

After a few minutes of confusion, we head back to the Pokémon Center. Dawn and I are carrying Lickylicky. I am carrying most of the weight, but I don't know how. Maybe it's because of my glowing? We set him down on the floor as Baron walks in. We let out all of our pokémon. We all discuss what's happening when the three trainers we fought run in. "We've got some bad news!" a female trainer says.

"What is it?" Dawn asks.

"We can't leave town. We're trapped by this dense fog. If we leave, we just end up right back where we started."

I run outside and look around. The edges of town are covered in fog. I see Tonio heading this way. "I think I know what happened to the town," he says.

We both go inside and Tonio shows us an image on his computer. He zooms in and digitally enhances the picture. I gasp. "I saw that in my nightmare."

"What?" Tonio asks.

"I didn't know it was Palkia, though."

"I know. Palkia came here and is now resting above the Space-Time Tower."

"Why?"

Our conversation is interrupted by Baron. "All trainers, I need your help to help defeat Darkrai. He did this to us. Please follow me into battle against this demon."

All the trainers go except us. I shake my head. "I don't believe Darkrai's evil. The Pokédex entry says so."

"I don't believe he's evil either," Tonio says.

"Why?" Alice asks.

"He saved you when you feel off that cliff when we were kids. Not me."

She gasps like she remembers something. "Hey Tonio. What happened to the town?"

"Oh, right. I believe Palkia may have sent us to another dimension."

"What?"

"I think Palkia and Dialga got into a fight between dimensions. Palkia came here to hide from Dialga for some reason, causing Darkrai to get angry that they might accidentally hurt people and destroy time and space."

I think back to Darkrai saying, " _Go away._ "

"That makes a lot more sense," Barry says.

" _Yes,_ " the Lake Trio says.

I hear crashing outside. "Let's go!" Dawn says.

We run outside and to the tower to see Darkrai ram into a ball floating above it, sending him crashing to the ground. He grows frustrated and uses Dark Pulse on it. As Dark Pulse collides, the ball disappears, revealing the giant, Dragon/Water type. It has a cracked pearl on it's left shoulder. It is mostly white with pink areas on it. We all stare in awe at Palkia, the Spatial Pokémon. Darkrai flies upward as another pokémon joins the mix. This one is blue and has a diamond on it's chest. It roars, getting the attention of the wounded Palkia. We watch Dialga, the Temporal Pokémon, as it crashes into Palkia, sending both of them into the ground. Tonio nods. "In its battle with Dialga, the wounded Palkia hides in Alamos Town to heal and stay away from Dialga. However this distorted time and space because Palkia isn't supposed to be here."

"That seems like it's true," Barry says.

Dialga uses Draco Meteor on Palkia, but a stray meteor comes flying for Alice. Darkrai flies in and blocks it with his body. He grunts and flies back to the two other Legendary Pokémon to attempt to calm them down. I hear Buizel and Staravia as they come out to us. I hug Staravia as he flies into my arms. "You're awake."

I watch as the fog surrounding the town disappears, leaving a swirling, black void around the town. As the two rival pokémon fight, I see buildings start to disappear into purple shards. "Does anyone have any idea how to stop this?" Barry asks.

I shrug. Tonio comes up with an idea. He pulls out a journal. "I left Oracion for the world to use."

"Oracion?" Alice says.

"You know it?"

She smiles. "It's the song my grandma Alicia taught me to play on the leaf whistle."

"Oracion," Tonio says. "It has the power to calm great beasts."

Dawn gasps as she makes a realization. "The music disks! One of them has to be Oracion!"

I look at the two pokémon in the air. I see a tall building and look at Uxie, Buizel, Prinplup, Monferno, and Kirlia. I grit my teeth. "You guys get Oracion! I'll try to calm them down another way!"

Everyone looks at me like I'm insane. "What?!" Dawn says.

"Trust me! I know a way, but I need the Lake Trio, Buizel, Kirlia, Monferno, and Prinplup to do it."

"That's suicide!" Barry says.

"I've gotta try!"

Dawn grabs my jacket and shakes her head. "Come with us!"

I hug her. "You can't stop me."

She hugs back. "I know."

"In the off chance that I don't make it, I need to tell you something."

"What?"

"I love you."

She gasps. I hear Palkia and Dialga crash again. "I have to go."

I take off with the pokémon following close behind me. "Get Oracion!"

I hear Dawn. "Wait, Chris!"

Eevee comes too for support. The Lake Trio lifts us up to a rooftop close to the Legendary Pokémon. "When I say go, fire your strongest special attack on Dialga to get his attention!"

My glow intensifies when I look back and see them gone. "GO!"

Prinplup uses Bubblebeam, Monferno uses Flamethrower, Buizel uses Water Gun, Kirlia uses Magical Leaf, Uxie uses Psybeam, Mesprit uses Psychic, and Azelf uses Shadow Ball.

Darkrai sees us and uses Dark Pulse to attack Dialga.

The attacks combine into one, except when they hit, Dialga takes no notice. I growl, making me glow even brighter. I feel powerful, like my core is about to explode outwards. "Again!"

They all attack again, hitting Dialga, but causing no damage again. "Again!"

We try a few more times, but to no avail. I growl in anger. "Damn it!"

The pokémon face each other again. Palkia charges Spacial Rend and Dialga charges Roar of Time. Darkrai flies up to them and, when they fire, absorbs their blast to capture them and stall for time. " _This garden is for everyone!_ " he shouts.

After a few minutes, Darkrai's darkness field fades away, freeing the three pokémon. I watch as Darkrai is hit with Hyper Beam and Dragon Pulse. Darkrai is pushed back when he starts fading away. " _I'm sorry, Chris. I've failed. It's all… up… to you…now…"_

I look up at the pokémon. I see a image of a man throwing a blue orb forward. My body takes control of me. I copy the motion that I see in my brain. I focus my energy and form a ball. "Try one more time!"

They fire their attacks, but this time, I throw my arms forward launching my sphere of energy into the middle of it. My glow fades as the sphere rockets into the center of the attacks, propelling it forward. Dialga roars as it hits him. He turns to us and roars. I see Spacial Rend hit Dialga. Not expecting the attack, Dialga is thrown back by it. Palkia flies to me. It roars. " _Palkia trusts you, Chris,_ " Uxie translates. " _It wants you to give it orders. In exchange, he will take us back home._ "

I nod and climb onto Palkia's back. I wave at the pokémon. "Get them to safety, Uxie!"

She nods. I look at Palkia. "Go!"

Palkia takes off as Dialga gets ready to attack with Roar of Time. "Dodge it, Palkia."

Roar of Time rockets past Palkia as it dodges. Dialga has to take a minute to recharge. "While Dialga's charging, use Spacial Rend!"

Palkia lifts it's right arm, which glows pink. It swipes down, sending a blade of energy towards Dialga. Dialga has no time to dodge, so it is hit by the attack. Dialga opens it's mouth and fires Draco Meteor at us. "Use Ancient Power to destroy the meteors!"

Palkia summons rocks that collide with the meteors, destroying them. I nod. "Evade all of Dialga's attacks."

Palkia screeches in response. It flies skillfully through the void dodging all of Dialga's attacks. I make sure not to let any stray attacks hit the Space-Time Tower. "Use Water Pulse!"

Palkia sends out a strong force of water at Dialga, making it lose it's focus for a second. It charges up Roar of Time, ready to fire. I look at the Space-Time Tower impatiently. Palkia is panting, out of energy. We can't afford another clash, judging by how little there is of the town left. "Ready Spacial Rend, but do not fire!"

Palkia charges the attack, but holds it. Dialga finishes charging the attack when…

[Song: Oracion]

A melody starts playing in the tower. A few bells start ringing, eventually breaking out into song. Dialga and Palkia drop their attacks and look towards the tower as the melody begins to play. Metal components move out of the tower, fascinating me. I watch as the metal spires grow. They all stretch across the void. They transform into two, glowing wings. They flap as if flying across the night sky. They touch at their peak, restoring the town to normal. I cry as Dialga flies away, in peace. I look at Palkia. "Take us to the tower."

We fly to the top of the tower. I wave at Dawn, who is with the others. She is crying. Palkia growls as he lands in the square. The town flashes in a bright light. I close my eyes.

When I open them, I see the normal sky. Dawn and the others get down into the square and I slide off of Palkia's back, landing safely in the square. I stand still as Dawn wraps her arms around me. "I love you too!"

I smile and put my arms around her. She pulls away and kisses me. I close my eyes and return it. After a moment, we break away from each other. "Eevee," Eevee says, muffled.

I release Dawn and look at Eevee, who is holding my Pokédex in her mouth. I take it and pat her head. I look at the screen. "It's still recording, Dawn. I must've misclicked."

She giggles. "That's what you get when you aren't looking at the screen and press buttons."

"At least we have something to show for it."

I stop the recording and go to a certain part I wasn't sure was real or not. I'm holding my arms back. Sure enough, a blue sphere appears, which I throw towards Dialga. Eevee was pointing the camera at me the whole time. She's a very good camerawoman. "What is that?" Dawn asks when I show her.

I shrug. "I don't know."

I can't help but think that she's still hiding something from me. She is leaning on my shoulder. "I love you, Dawn."

She smiles and looks at me. "I love you too, Chris."  
We embrace each other.

[A Few Hours Later, Alamos Garden]

We look out across the lake as the sun sets. Dawn is standing in front of me with my arms wrapped around her. Barry is standing with our pokémon. Alice and Tonio are standing next to each other. I see tears in Alice's eyes. "Goodbye, Darkrai," she says.

Barry turns around. "Well, Chris. I'm gonna go."

I turn and nod. "Alright."

Alice and Tonio start walking away. I'm about to when I see a shadow appear on the rocks ahead of me. It shows a wispy figure with two long, pointed legs on a building. Dawn and I turn around to see Darkrai standing on a building before coming to me and landing feet away. " _Chris,_ " Darkrai says. " _You saved this town along with Alice. Most importantly you saved the time-space continuum from being destroyed. It is because of that, that I wish to join you on your journey. Do you accept me?_ "

I smile and hold out a pokéball. "Yes."

Darkrai taps his head on the pokéball. I hear my Pokédex beep as Darkrai is captured. It says, "Please select a pokémon to send to the professor."

I click Luxio, replacing him with Darkrai. I let out Darkrai. "Let's say goodbye to Alice and continue our journey, friend," I tell Darkrai, my arm around Dawn.

Darkrai nods. " _Thank you,_ " he says.

[Song End]

As we leave Alamos Town, we catch up to Barry. I feel like we're forgetting someone. I gasp. "Roark is still at Hearthome!"

Dawn's and Barry's eyes widen. "Uh oh."

I hear panting behind us. I turn and see Roark catching his breath. "Why'd you guys leave me behind?"

"Sorry!" we all say.

"You missed a lot!"

"I've been running… since this morning. Can I… get some… rest?"

"Yes! Anything you need."

Roark sits under a tree and closes his eyes.

Author's Note: This is the only chapter I am using something from the anime. I'm also sorry for the EXTREMELY long chapter, but I needed to get everything in. From Chris' discovery of his aura, Darkrai joining the team, and the love confession from Chris to Dawn, there was a lot in this. I hope you enjoyed it. I tried to keep it as close to the original. (I watched the movie again before writing this. Tears were shed.) Also, I highly recommend you write reviews. I could use some constructive criticism and I also want to know how you feel about the story so far. Long A/N aside, See you in the next chapter.


	20. Chapter 20

Chapter 20: Solaceon Town

We all walk down the route in a near straight line. Staravia is flying overhead, Eevee is walking by my side, and Prinplup walks on my right side. Dawn is looking at her map. Barry is talking to Roark about what happened in Alamos Town. I am holding the incubator my egg is in. It is starting to shake. "I think it's going to hatch soon," Roark says.

I shrug. "I don't know."  
"There's a Pokémon Daycare in Solaceon Town. You can check there," Dawn says.

I hear footsteps come up to me. I turn to the person. It is a teenager about my age wearing a three-piece suit. He is throwing and catching a pokéball. "I challenge you," he says, grinning.

"What pokémon do you have?"  
"What does it matter? They're obviously stronger than yours."

I grin. "Sure about that?"

"I'm very sure."

I feel the power come back to me again. My hands start glowing blue as my excitement builds. He backs up. I hand my incubator to Barry. I grab Darkrai's pokéball. "Send out your pokémon first," I say.

He throws the pokéball. A Luxray appears in front of him. "Nowhere near as powerful as mine," I remark.

He chuckles. "Send it out then."  
Eevee looks up at me. " _What are you doing?_ "  
" _Having a bit of fun,_ " I reply.

I toss the pokéball. I watch his expression turn from cockiness to fear in a matter of seconds. Darkrai hovers in front of me. The Luxray backs up, shaking. "You make the first move," I say.

"T-t-t-t-Thunder…" he says, fear in his voice.

His Luxray fires a bolt of electricity into the air. "Dodge."  
Darkrai bolts to the side as lightning crashes down. I point at Luxray. "Dark Void."  
Darkrai raises his right arm and creates a misty orb. He throws it at Luxray, who falls to the ground and starts convulsing. The teen in front of me is at the brink of running away. He returns his Luxray. "Forfeit?" I ask.

Darkrai glares at our opponent. " _You best leave,_ " he says.

He nods and runs down the trail. Darkrai turns to me and shakes his head. " _Don't make me fight for your ego again. I'll send you into a nightmare again if you do._ "  
"Alright, sorry."  
I return him to his pokéball and grab the incubator from Barry.

We continue down the trail and see the outskirts of a village. "That's Solaceon Town," Roark says.

I smile and yawn. "I'm getting tired," I say.

"It's midday," Dawn replies.

"Don't blame me. I didn't get much sleep last night."  
Dawn sighs. "I guess you need to sleep by yourself tonight."

I look at her, shocked. "No. I'll get to sleep easier tonight, I promise."

She smirks. "You better, 'cause if not, you sleep by yourself for a few days."  
I hear Barry growling. I ignore it. We keep walking silently until we reach the center of town. "Alright, that's it!" Barry yells.

I turn to him. "What's up?"

"Do you not friggin know what's up?! You and Dawn always sweet talkin' each other! It's getting on my nerves. You and me, battle right here, right now. No Legendary Pokémon!"  
I smirk. "Alright, if you insist. What's the bet?"  
"If you win, everything continues as normal. If I win, you and Dawn stay quiet for a week."  
A crowd is starting to gather now. I smile and cock my head. I sigh. "Staravia, I need you."  
Staravia swoops down. I hold my arm out and Staravia lands on it. Barry grabs a pokéball and throws it. His Staravia appears. I nod to Staravia, who nods back. I smirk, feeling cocky. "Make the first move, Barry."  
He glares at me. "Aerial Ace!"

His Staravia flies forward at a high speed. I nod to Staravia. He uses Quick Attack and flies forward. Both pokémon collide and fight for dominance. "Do it Staravia!" Barry shouts.

"Hang in there," I say, quietly. The two pokémon back off and wait for commands. "High-Speed Aerial Ace."

As Staravia dashes forward, Barry smiles. "Brave Bird."  
I gasp. She surrounds herself with a blue aura and starts flying around, building up speed. My Staravia looks around as she continues flying around. Suddenly, she flies at Staravia, turning her aura red. She strikes Staravia, instantly knocking him out. The recoil damages her, taking a toll on her stamina. I return Staravia and look at Prinplup. "Go. You can do this."  
Prinplup runs in. "Metal Claw."  
Staravia tries flying away, but Prinplup slashes her to the ground. Staravia attempts to fly upwards, but falls down. Her left wing is sore. "Bubble."  
Prinplup fires a stream of bubbles that knocks her out. Barry returns her. "Thank you."  
He grabs his second ball. "Go, Grotle."  
The Grass type looms over Prinplup, readying for battle. "Energy Ball!"

"Bubblebeam!"  
The two opposing pokémon clash their attacks. I watch in terror as Grotle's Energy Ball starts nearing Prinplup. "Hang in there, Prinplup!"  
Prinplup fires a larger stream of bubbles. People are starting to cheer for us. "Fire another, Grotle!"

He fires another Energy Ball, blasting Prinplup back. I gasp. "Come on, stay up. You can do this!"  
Prinplup nods and shakes off her damage. "Great! Whirlpool!"

Prinplup jumps upward and creates a giant vortex of water. The huge vortex traps Grotle inside, not dealing much damage. "Razor Leaf!"  
Grotle fires razor-sharp leaves all around. Several hit Prinplup, knocking her to the ground. I return Prinplup to her pokéball. I send out Rotom. "These aren't very good matchups, Chris," Barry complains.

"They can still knock out your pokémon."  
"Razor Leaf!"  
"Shock Wave!"  
Rotom fires a wave of electricity, shocking Grotle. He is hit with multiple leaves, dealing a great deal of damage. "When did you get so strong?"  
"I've always been strong. You just have two Legendary Pokémon and a powerful Eevee."  
"Thunder Wave!"  
Rotom paralyzes Grotle, leaving him open for attack. "Ominous Wind!"  
Rotom blasts Grotle, still not knocking him out. I gasp. "Impossible!"  
"Finish him with Energy Ball!"  
Grotle fires an Energy Ball at him, knocking him out. I return Rotom and look at Eevee. " _Chris?_ "

I nod. "Your turn."

Eevee walks to the field in front of me and stares Grotle down. She growls. " _Let's do this!_ "

" _Quick Attack._ "  
Eevee dashes forward, catching Barry off guard. "What?"  
Eevee rams Grotle with all of her strength. Grotle grunts and attempts to remain standing. "No fair!" Barry yells. "You have to give commands!"  
Eevee and I chuckle. "I did give her one."

Everyone seems confused. " _I would talk to them, but they won't hear me,_ " Eevee says.

" _Why?_ "  
" _I think you need a huge bond with a pokémon to be able to do this. I tried to talk to Dawn, but she didn't hear me._ "  
I smile. "I'll give her audible commands now. Go first."  
"You'll just have her use Protect."  
I laugh. "I'm that easy to read, am I?"  
"Earthquake."  
I feel the ground start to shake as Grotle stomps. Eevee starts losing her balance, falling down several times as she tries to stand. She remains conscious. " _I've dealt with worse._ "

I grin. "Iron Tail."  
Eevee runs forward and swings her tail at Grotle. "Bite."  
Grotle chomps down on Eevee's tail. I gasp. Eevee starts screaming in pain. " _Chris!_ _Help me!_ "

I try to think of a way out of the situation. "Energy Ball."  
Grotle creates an orb on Eevee. It explodes, launching Eevee across the battlefield. She slides to me, semi-conscious. She barely stands up. She turns around covered in scratches. " _What next?_ "  
"Back down Eevee."  
" _I can do this!_ "  
"No you can't."  
Everyone is looking at me like I'm crazy. " _Believe in me Chris. Believe in me like you did in Hearthome._ "  
I take a deep breath. "Okay. Quick Attack!"  
Grotle prepares to counter attack as Eevee dashes forward. "Dazzling Gleam!"  
Grotle takes massive damage from the attack, being pushed back. He falls to the ground, unconscious. I grin. " _See._ "

I nod. "Good job, Eevee."

She smiles back at me. Barry grabs his last pokéball. "Ponyta, go!"

The Fire type appears before us, ready to fight. "Stomp."  
"Protect!" I yell, frantic.

Eevee puts up a barrier. "Keep attacking!" Barry yells.

"Hang in there, Eevee!"

Eevee keeps the barrier up. I see cracks start to form in the force field. Ponyta smashes through, stomping on Eevee. Eevee hits the ground and doesn't get up. She doesn't talk. "I win, Chris," Barry says, victorious.

Ponyta puts her guard down. I grin. "Alright, but first, I have something to tell you."

He listens. "Iron Tail."

He gasps. Eevee swings up at Ponyta's underside. Her tail nears her, but a blue orb collides with Ponyta, knocking her back and out. I turn around. The egg in the incubator has a hole in it. I see a black and blue pokémon standing with his front arms stretched outwards. He is panting. His red eyes gleam in the sunlight. Riolu drops to one knee, near the edge of consciousness. Suddenly, he falls down, out of energy.

The four of us stare at the Fighting type in absolute shock. I walk over to my new party member and pick him up. He opens his eyes and smiles. "Rio," he says.

I smile. "Hello Riolu."  
I hear someone walking towards me. I turn to see a man wearing a black and blue suit. He has brown pants and a gold necklace. His dark blue hair covers part of his face. He is also wearing a blue hat with a black band around the center. He smiles as he sees me. "Hello, Chris."  
I gasp and step back. "Who are you? How do you know my name?"  
He nods. "I am well aware that you do not know who I am. That will have to remain for a while longer. As for how I know you, we met while you were unconscious. Your Aura had taken control of you."  
I hear Dawn gasp. "We weren't supposed to-"

"Now is the time, Dawn. You may tell him all you know. It will help him understand."  
I look at the man, then to Dawn. "What's going on? What the hell is Aura?"  
The man chuckles. "That will be revealed to you by Dawn. Now, take care of that Riolu. It has become as strong as it is now by being near you in it's egg. That is why he knows Aura Sphere."

I growl. "Enough! Tell me who you are!"  
I feel my power come back. I bring my hand to my right side and make a ball of azure energy. "I'll hurt you!"

He chuckles. "Try."  
I throw the sphere forward. The man puts his arm out and a barrier forms. The sphere collides with it, then vaporizes. "You are still weak, Chris. Now, I'll be seeing you later."  
The man starts walking away, disappearing into the crowd. I glare at Dawn. "Answers, now."

She sighs. "Alright. I'll tell you what we've kept from you for so long."


	21. Chapter 21

Chapter 21: Revelations

Dawn and I sit on the bed in the Pokémon Center. We sit across from each other. Eevee and Riolu are sitting next to me. I sent Rotom to the PC to keep Riolu with me. Dawn looks at me and smiles. "It started in Floaroma Town. The day the grunt was killed in front of us. When the Lake Trio started attacking another Grunt, you _changed_."

"Changed?"

"You glowed an azure light and forced them to stop. You went unconscious shortly after. The next time was at Valley Windworks."

I see a tear run down her cheek. "You hurt me there."

I gasp. "That's why you were in the Pokémon Center."

She nods. "After you defeated Mars, you glowed blue again. You walked towards Mars promising to make her suffer. I jumped in the way and you turned to me. You grabbed me and forced your Aura into me. My body couldn't handle the stress of Aura, so I collapsed. From what Barry told me, the man we saw today came in through the window and absorbed your power into a cane."

"Wow."

"Then the Old Chateau. You were starting to flare up, but I knocked you out before you lost control. The other times, Team Galactic was able to absorb the Aura into devices and weaken you. Of course, you know what happened at Alamos Town. I was afraid you would lose control, but you didn't."

She smiles. "I guess you're starting to get control over your Aura."

I start taking this information in. Eevee puts her paw on my lap. " _Don't stress over it too much, Chris,_ " she tells me.

I nod. "I'll try not to."

Dawn looks around. "Who are you talking to?"

I look at Eevee. "For a few weeks, I have been able to understand the thoughts of Eevee."

Eevee nods. " _Translate me. I think it has to do with our bond and his Aura._ "

"She says that might have to do with our bond and my Aura."

Dawn thinks. "I don't know. When we see that man again, ask him."

Riolu is asleep, laying on a pillow. I smile and grab the pillow, gently setting it on the floor at the foot of the bed. Eevee walks to the area of the bed by my feet and lays down. She wraps her tail around herself to keep warm and closes her eyes. Dawn and I lay down and get under the covers. She leans into me. I look at her. She smiles at me and kisses me. "Goodnight."

"Night. I love you."

"I love you, too."

We start on the trail again around noon. Riolu and Eevee walk alongside us. Staravia flies through the air, Prinplup wanted to stay in her pokéball. Roark is walking behind us, grinning. I glance at him. "What are you so happy about?"

"I'm glad that we don't have to keep Aura a secret from you now."

I look ahead of me again. I hold my right hand in front of me and make a fist, straining to summon my Aura. Dawn puts her hand on my shoulder. "When you did it while unconscious, you looked relaxed, yet focused at the same time. It was like it was natural for you."

I sigh. "I hope that man teaches me more."

" _I'm sure he will, Chris!_ " Eevee reassures.

Riolu nods in agreement. " _I hope you're right, Eevee._ "

" _I usually am._ "

" _Don't get cocky now._ "

" _I never am._ "

I chuckle. " _What? I'm not!_ "

Eevee stops and glares at me. I stop and look back at her. " _As if you aren't. You remember how cocky you got at the gym in Hearthome and in our fight with Barry._ "

Eevee growls, then turns her head away. " _Damn. You got me there._ "

Everyone except Dawn is looking at the two of us, confused. Even a few strangers. " _Let's go. We can talk and walk._ "

Eevee starts walking again. Barry walks over to me. "What the fuck was that back there?"  
"We were talking."

"You… and Eevee?"

I nod. Barry strokes his chin, then rubs his hands through his hair, frustrated. "How the hell?!"

I shrug. "We just started speaking to each other one night through telepathy. Well, she did."

Eevee bumps into me a couple of times. I kneel and she jumps onto my shoulder. "Vee."

I giggle at her remark. "She said, 'You naive bastard, Barry.'"

Barry gasps and looks at Eevee. She headbutts me. " _Tell him what I actually said._ "

I rub my head. "Fine. She said, 'Jealous?'"

Eevee smiles and nods. "Eevee."

Barry groans. "I guess I am kinda jealous. I really want to talk to other pokémon!"

I hear thunder in the distance. Dawn sighs. "It usually rains a lot in this area of Sinnoh. At least we bought rain gear before we left, right?"

"You know my answer, Dawn. You made me get them."

"I don't want to sleep with you when you're cold from the rain."

Barry chuckles. I glance in his direction. "What's so funny?"

"You sleep together. What else do you two do together?" he whispers to me.

I growl. " _Eevee, Tackle._ "

Eevee shakes her head. " _I won't hurt a good person._ "

" _I'll get Darkrai to give him the worst nightmare tonight, then._ "

" _Why would he do that, Chris?_ "

I think, then sigh. " _Damn._ "

" _As I thought._ "

Barry smirks. "So, what are you going to say?"

"Mind your own business, perv."

He grins. "So you have had sex then."

I stop and turn to him. I feel my Aura flow around my fingertips. I glare at him, making him jump back. I let my power shrink and continue walking. Barry follows me, more silent than he has ever been in his life.

After a while, I hear him murmur, "Still didn't deny it…"

" _Please?_ " I ask Eevee.

" _No._ "

I feel a few raindrops hit my shoulder. I stop moving and grab my rain coat from my backpack. I even got one for Riolu and Eevee. Staravia just returns to his pokéball to avoid lightning. Eevee rides in my backpack, avoiding walking in the rain. " _Chris. Tonight, I want to tell you something._ "

" _Alright. What is it?_ "

" _The story of what happened to my family and how I got to Sinnoh._ "

I look at her, she is laying her head on my shoulder. She looks sad. I reach my head back and scratch her head. She nuzzles my hand. " _Cheer up. You can finally get closure for what happened. I'm sure what happened was terrible._ "

" _I can't wait._ "

I smile. The rain starts pouring down even harder. "We need to get out of this rain!" Roark yells so we can hear.

"Where do we go?" Dawn shouts.

"Riolu, use your Aura to brighten the area."

He nods and glows a bright blue. I see a cave to the right. Barry starts running to it. "Come on guys!"

We all run into the cave and sit down. Dawn is looking at her Pokétch. She sighs. "The rain isn't going to let up till morning. Luckily, we had to climb to reach the cave. It should be relatively dry for the night."

I look at the darkness further down. "We can always go deeper."

Roark thinks. "That sounds like a good idea. Deeper down, we won't stay awake due to the rain."

I nod to Riolu. We all stand and start walking further in with Riolu lighting the way. I try to trigger my Aura, but there's too much on my mind to focus. After a few minutes, we gasp at the sight. I see a lake with crystal-clear water. A giant stalagmite is in the center. A glowing stalactite lights up the area. Dawn puts her bag down and opens it. "Dawn? What are you doing?"

"I'm getting my swimsuit."

I look at Eevee, who jumped out of my bag. She nods. " _Swimming sounds nice._ "

I nod. "Let's go, guys."

Dawn walks into a side cavern. I set down my bag next to hers. I get Eevee out of her jacket. Barry and Roark are talking to each other. Eve and I start chatting when Dawn steps out, in her bikini. I stare at her, mesmerized. She walks towards me and sits. I stand up and take my swimsuit with me. Eevee starts following me. I turn to her. " _What?_ " she asks.

"Go back to Dawn."

" _What's wrong over here?_ "

"I'm going to get dressed."

" _So?_ "

"You're a girl."

" _I don't care._ "

"Just go."

She sighs and walks to Dawn. I continue changing. I walk out in my swim trunks. Dawn gets up and observes me. She smiles. "You look great."

"As do you."

I jump into the water before she continues. She follows suit, then Barry. Eevee opens the pokéballs, letting our pokémon out. Prinplup jumps into the water upon seeing it. Darkrai floats and meditates. Uxie, Mesprit, and Azelf all play. Buizel jumps in the water with Eevee. Riolu sits on the edge of the lake with his feet in the water. Roark does the same. Dawn hugs me from behind, pressing herself against me. I smile at her. "You're very physical today, aren't you?"

She turns me around and smiles at me. "I just like being with you. It makes me feel whole."

I smile and kiss her quickly. Her cheeks go red and she start giggling.

"I love you," she says.

"I love you, too."

A half hour later, the two of us are dressed and getting ready to sleep. I hear Dawn fall asleep. Eevee walks into the tent. " _So, are you ready to hear my story?_ "

I take a deep breath. " _I'm ready._ "

" _Okay. I was born three years ago…_ "


	22. Chapter 22

Chapter 22: Eve

[Eevee's POV; Three Years Ago]

I blink for the very first time, trying to get used to the brightness. I step out of my egg and see two blurry figures. A figure clears up. A Glaceon smiles at me. "You're here!" she says excitedly.

I smile and nuzzle her. "Mommy!"  
The other, a Jolteon, steps near me. "You're finally here."  
I tilt my head. "Daddy?"  
He nods. "I'm your dad. And I assure you I'll be a good one."  
"Don't flatter yourself, Spark."

Dad smiles and laughs nervously. "You won't be much better, Grace."

My family lived in the wild. My dad had a trainer. That's how he got his name. He got released after he met my mom. A few months pass with nearly no events. I cuddle with my mom before dad walks in. He has a branch with berries on it. He puts it on the ground and rolls it to me. I walk forward and grab a berry. Dad goes to mom. "If we're lucky, this will last us a few days."  
"I hope so. I'd like you to be around more often."

I swallow the bite of the berry I ate. Mom walks to me and licks some of the berry's juice of my face. "You're so adorable. I hope you grow to be as strong as you are cute."  
I smile and walk to dad. He lies down, exhausted. I nuzzle him and lie down by him. I close my eyes and fall asleep.

[Present Day]

Chris awes. I blush. " _That's the last happy moment of my family that I have. I was almost one when that happened. They died on my birthday. Two years ago, today._ "

"It's your birthday?!"

I nod. " _I never told you. It… reminds me of them._ "

Chris wipes my face with a tissue. I look at him. "You're crying," he explains.

" _Sorry. I just… miss them._ "  
"I know how you feel. My dad died when I was young."

" _It's the way I lost them that has scarred me to this day, though._ "  
[Two Years Ago]

I walk alongside my mom and dad. We are going through the forest. I'm getting used to the pokémon that live here. I see two humans, a male and a female. The female slaps the male and tries to run away. The male grabs her and pulls her back. Mom and Dad are watching. I see a flower in the ground and sniff it. Suddenly, I hear a scream. I look around. It's mom. The female human is lying down. Blood is flowing from her neck. The man look toward us. "Run! Spark, get the ranger I saw yesterday."  
"He left."  
She gasps, then turns to me. "What are you still doing here? Run!"

That was the first and last time my mom yelled at me. I turn and run as fast as I can. I pass several pokémon as I run. I stop at a stump and catch my breath. I hear big footstep nearing me. The murderer is behind me. He is holding his left hand behind his back. The knife in his right is bloody. "Those were your parents, weren't they?"  
I freeze as he drops my parents corpses in front of me. I feel fear fill every portion of my body. "I'll have to kill you, too."

The fear replaces itself with rage. I look at him and growl. I bite his ankle, he screams and drops to the ground. I taste his blood in my mouth. I let go of him and jump back, dodging his knife. I headbutt his stomach. He groans and grabs his stomach. I feel my tail tingling. I look back. It's metal. I smirk. "Die."  
I jump and flip, hitting him over the head with my tail. I keep hitting him after he stops breathing. I back up and look at my parents, then their killer. I drop to the ground and sob loudly.

[Present Day]

"Damn…"  
" _I'm a monster…_ "  
"He deserved it."

He hugs me and pulls me close. I gasp, then nuzzle him. " _Thank you._ "

[A Year and a Half Ago]

I walk through a field of flowers. All I feel is the grief gnawing at me internally. I see a cliff. I look off of it. It reaches down to the surface of the ocean. I put a paw out and am about to jump when I feel someone ram into my side. I scream and roll down the hill I just climbed. I stop and get up. I see a Vulpix rolling. He's laughing. I growl. "What was that for?"  
"You looked sad. I figured you wanted some fun!"  
"You tackled me!"

He runs to me. "I'm Fennec. What's your name?"  
"I don't use it anymore."

"I have to call you something."

"Mary."

"Hi, Mary. You look cute."

"Is this how you greet all girls, or just me?"  
"Just you."

"How old are you?"

"Two."  
"Same."  
"Let's play."  
"I think I'll kill myself instead."

I start walking back to the cliff. Fennec steps in front of me. "Tell me what's wrong."  
"Why do you care? Why would you? You don't even know me!"  
Fennec sighs. "I don't want you to make this mistake."

"You don't care. Why would anyone care about the Eevee that lost her family and killed a man?!"  
Fennec flinches at my outburst. "Just tell me what happened, okay?" he says, softly.

I keep walking to the cliff. "Stop."

"You don't care about me. No one does."  
I reach the edge of the cliff. I look at him. "Let me die alone and in peace."  
Fennec walks to the edge of the cliff. He raises one of his hind legs and stares at me. "I have friends and a family. Imagine how they would feel when they learn I jumped off this cliff."

"I have no one who cares about me."

"And who's fault is that?"

I close my eyes. "Just leave me alone!"  
I jump forward, accepting death. I feel teeth on my tail. I scream in pain. "Let go of me!"  
"No," he says through his teeth.

He pulls me up, lying me in the grass. I start crying. "Why won't you let me feel better?"  
"I care about you."  
"No you don't."

"I don't? Then, why would I do this?"

He nuzzles me, then licks my fur. I nuzzle him back. We touch noses. I keep crying. We lay down in the field and cuddle.

[Present Day]

"You've been my pokémon for four months. When did you get to Sinnoh?"

" _I was getting to that. Give me time. I loved Fennec. This is difficult for me._ "  
[One Year Ago]

It's my birthday again. I look at the cruise liner then at Fennec. He smiles at me. "Remind me why you're going to Sinnoh."

"A new life."

"Will I ever see you again?"

"I promise I'll come back."

We touch noses and nuzzle. I see the ship start moving. I jump on and look back at Fennec. "Goodbye and good luck!"  
"Bye!"  
I think. "I never thanked you for saving me!"

He smiles. "You're welcome!"  
"I love you, Fennec!"  
"I love you, too!"  
I feel tears run down my face. "Don't forget me!" he yells.

"I'll try, but I don't think I will!"  
He chuckles. "Goodbye."  
I smile and run into a closing door. I go to a storage closet and decide to live there. As I lie down to sleep, the door opens. A woman walks in and sees me. I start to runs, but she stops me. "It's okay, Eevee."  
I stop and look at her. She opens a bag and pours pellets on the floor. I look up at her. "It's food."  
I sniff it, then nibble on a piece. It tastes good. I quickly eat the food. I look up at her, still hungry.

She laughs. "You want more?"

I nod. "Yes, please."

"How about this? I don't tell anyone you're here, and I bring you food."  
I nod quickly. "Yes!"  
"Okay. I'll bring you more food later, okay. I don't have any more on me. I'll bring some, I promise."

She fed me during the week I was on the ship. I felt sorry for leaving her, but I was ready to start my new life. One where I would overcome my fear and finally learn to trust someone.

[Present Day]

" _I found you a few months later._ "

Chris is tearing up. He picks me up and hugs me. "I'm happy you told me."

" _I'm happy that I can trust you._ "  
"How about after this is all over, we go to Kalos and find Fennec?"

" _I'd love that Chris. Thank you._ "  
"You're welcome, Eevee."

I nuzzle him. " _Call me Eve._ "

"You're welcome, Eve."


	23. Chapter 23

Chapter 23: Riley, the Aura Guardian

[Chris's POV]

We walk through the wet landscape, desperately trying to reach Veilstone City. Eve is sleeping in my backpack, curled up into a ball. Riolu is running through puddles on the path. Dawn is tiredly trudging through the muddy grass. Roark is walking. I think he might be daydreaming. Eve readjusts herself in her sleep as I grab Dawn's hand. She looks at me and smiles. We keep on walking for a few minutes. I see two figures standing on a hilltop. One is a shadow of a Lucario and the other is a man with a cape. I can't make out who he is. Suddenly, they run out of sight. Dawn yawns. "I'm getting tired, Chris."  
"Didn't you sleep at all?"  
"You and _Eve_ kept me up for a while."  
"Leave Eve alone. She went through a lot."  
"Like what?"  
"Her family was murdered in front of her."  
Dawn gasps. "Sorry. I… didn't know."  
"It's okay."  
"I _could_ make it up to you, you know." she says, grinning.

"What is with this phase, Dawn?"  
She looks down. "I just want to be yours," she whispers. "I want to know that it will only be you and me."  
I put my arm around her. "You already are, Dawn."  
She smiles and leans against me. I kiss her head. "I love you, Chris."  
"I love you, too."  
We walk over the hill and see the city. Barry sighs in relief. "Finally!"

Barry starts running. Roark sighs and follows him. Dawn, Riolu, and I stand on the hilltop still. I feel Eve stirring. She yawns and jumps out of my bag. Dawn tightens her grip on my hand. The clouds start to part. I feel rays of sunlight on my skin. The sun is starting to set, leaving us with a vibrant skyline. Dawn turns to me and kisses me. I chuckle and smile at her. "You made it," I hear behind me.

I let go of Dawn and turn around. The man and Lucario I saw earlier are standing beneath the tree. He is wearing a blue outfit with a brown bag at the waist. The arms and legs of his outfit are grey, with the exception of his hands and feet. He is wearing blue and yellow gloves and boots. His hat is black with a blue and yellow band. His jet black cape waves in the wind. He turns to face me. Lucario follows suit. "Now, I will reveal all you want to know about Aura."  
I look at Dawn. "Do you want to go on ahead?"  
She shakes her head. "I'm staying with you."  
Riolu looks up at me and nods. "I will begin with the Aura Guardians, ancient warriors with a special power that we refer to as Aura. These people protected both man and pokémon from conflict. You can say they succeeded… for the most part. We still have misunderstood people in this world, like this Team Galactic."  
"Where are you going with this?"  
"My name is Riley. I am an Aura Guardian. I wish to train you in our ways."  
"How so?"  
"I will teach you to control this power and how to defend yourself and others from harm. I see promise in your Aura. I've watched you throughout a majority of your journey. Ever since Valley Windworks, I have observed you. I've made myself known to your companions, but told them to never reveal that to you."

I turn to Dawn. "Is this true?"  
"Yes," she says, softly.

"Now," Riley says. "Follow me to the city. We have much more to discuss."

Riley walks down the path. We follow him. He looks at the wilderness around us. "Look at how peaceful this world is, Chris. It would be a shame if humans were the ones to bring about the end of that."

"Tell me more about the Aura Guardians."  
"The Great War. I'm sure you've heard of it, but not about the details. It was a massive conflict between every region I know of. The Aura Guardians went into the conflict to try and create a peaceful resolution. Arceus was on our side. It didn't do much help because, as you can tell, there are so few people with the power to control Aura. Anyway, until the end of the war with the firing of King AZ's weapon, Aura Guardians kept failing to accomplish the impossible task of ending the war."

We keep on walking in silence. I'm still taking this all in. "I accept your offer, Riley. I want to learn how to control my Aura."  
He smiles. "First thing tomorrow. We'll meet at the tree. At least bring Riolu."  
"Oh, is it normal for Aura users to talk with pokémon through Aura?"  
"I don't know. I believe it would be possible. Why?"  
"I can talk to me Eevee through telepathy."  
"I guess that is possible. You should also be able to talk with Riolu eventually. It's normal with Riolu and Lucario since they're the Aura pokémon."  
I take a deep breath, then turn to Dawn. "Want to get going?"  
She nods. We start walking towards the city. We both wave to Riley. "See you tomorrow."  
Dawn and I walk in silence for a while. "Are you scared, Chris?"  
I look at Dawn. "I'm terrified."  
"Me too."  
I look at my hand and focus. I see a hint of blue light, but it fades quickly. "I don't understand."

"Don't understand what?"  
"How was I able to bring it out those other times, but not now, when I know about my power?"

"Riley will teach you tomorrow. I hope that you get a hang of this. Aura may be our only hope against Cyrus."

Riolu runs to Barry and Roark, who are waiting at a bench near the edge of the city. "About time," Barry says. "What were you two doing this time?"  
"Riley told me about the Aura Guardians and the Great War. I'm going to start my Aura Guardian training tomorrow."  
"Aura Guardians? What the heck are you talking about Chris?" Roark asks.

"I can't really explain it as well as Riley did to me. All you have to know is that they were humans that had Aura that protected both people and pokémon. They tried countless times to bring the war to a close, but to no avail."

"Then what did?" Barry asks.  
"King AZ made a weapon that ended the war," Dawn answers.

"Who the hell is AZ and what weapon?"  
"I don't think even Riley knew about the weapon. I believe AZ was the king of the Kalos region of the time."  
Eve nods. " _I met a man with that name before. He was a giant of a man. I think about nine feet tall!_ "  
I translate to them, then look at Eevee. "How could you have seen him? He was king during the war about 3,000 years ago!"

" _He was the only other human I could talk to besides you, Chris. He said that the weapon he made accidentally gave him eternal life._ "  
"This is getting confusing. If he's still around, he can probably tell the story."  
Dawn yawns and stretches. "Let's get going, guys. I'm tired."  
"There's a gym here, too!" Barry states.  
"I think the gym leader is new," Roark says. "Her name is Maylene."

I yawn. "We can go meet her tomorrow. I need to get some rest before I start training."  
Dawn and I go to the Pokémon Center with our pokémon following behind us.

We lay in bed, still awake. Dawn turns to her side and snuggles up next to me. "You need sleep, Chris."

"I don't think I can sleep. There's too much on my mind."  
Dawn turns my head to her. She smiles. "I can help with that."

"For the last time, we're underag-"  
She kisses me and puts her arms around me. I return the kiss and embrace her. She doesn't try to seduce me. She backs away and smiles. "Did that help?" she asks.

"I think I need you to do it again."  
She grins and kisses me. We keep doing this for several minutes until we both fall asleep in each other's arms.


	24. Chapter 24

Chapter 24: Aura

I slowly sit up and yawn. Dawn is still asleep. Her chest rises up and down slowly as she sleeps. I smile and get out of bed. I get dressed and look in the mirror. I raise my hand in front of me and concentrate. A faint blue light appears around my hand, but disappears as soon as it came. I sigh and look back at Dawn. I walk to the side of the bed and kiss her cheek.

I walk up the mountain. Riolu and Eve are following me. I see Riley sitting against the tree. He's wearing his Aura Guardian outfit. "Good morning, Chris."  
I nod to him. "Good morning, Riley."  
"Are you ready to begin?"  
"Yes."  
Riley gets up and looks me in the eye. "Show me your Aura."  
"I can't maintain it. I haven't been able to since I first talked to you."  
"That _is_ quite the problem."  
Riley holds his hands out in front of him. A blue orb appears in between his hands. "You need to relax your spirit and body. Clear your mind."  
The orb disappears and Riley returns his hands to his sides. "You try."

I put my hands in front of me and focus on the area between my hands. Riley walks around me, observing me. I keep focusing, but nothing happens other than a few blue streaks appearing and disappearing. Riley puts his hand on my shoulder. "You're too focused."  
I put my hands down. "I can't do it."  
"You can. You already have."

I stay silent. Riley chuckles. "I know what's wrong. Your mind isn't clear."

I don't respond. "Tell me what's troubling you, Chris."  
"I don't know. I think it's Team Galactic and Cyrus."  
Riley takes a deep breath and waves his hand. His Aura expels from his hand, leaving a trail. He draws the Team Galactic insignia. "They aren't a threat yet. Even if you believe they are, you need to remind yourself that you can defeat them when you call upon this power."  
He swipes at the symbol and it morphs into Dawn. "Think of her. You want to protect her. You love her."  
The image of Dawn fades. I take a deep breath and hold my hands in front of me again. I focus my Aura and an azure light drifts around my hands. Aura flows in between my fingers and forms a ball between my hands. Riley looks on in awe. "Amazing…"  
The ball fades as I start feeling exhausted. I sit on the ground and pant. I feel sweat dripping down my forehead. Riley sits down in front of me. " _That_ … was amazing."  
I nod. "That was awesome!"  
I hear someone walking towards us. I turn and see Dawn. She's smiling at me. "You did great, sweetie," she says.

I smile back. "Thanks, Dawn."

Dawn sits down and observes us. I look at Eve. She smiles too. Dawn lets all of her pokémon out. Buneary, Monferno, Buizel, and Pachirisu appear. I do the same and let my pokémon out as well. Rotom and Prinplup appear next to me. Rotom zips around me happily. Prinplup sits down and rests. Riley observes us. "I'd like to see the power of both of your pokémon."

I turn to him and smile. "Dawn and I are unbeatable when we work together."  
"I mean you two should battle each other."  
Dawn and I quickly turn to each other. We both look at our pokémon, then back to Riley. "No way!" Dawn says.

"It would help your pokémon grow anyway."

I get up and face Dawn. "Let's do it. We need to prepare for Team Galactic anyway."

Dawn stands up and reaches for Mesprit's pokéball. She looks at it and looks at me. "Can I use her?"

I smile. "Sure. It's not like Team Galactic doesn't know we have them."  
She puts the pokéball in her bag. We both walk out to the field next to the tree. Riley gets on the sidelines. I make a fist, which glows an azure light. I look at Rotom. "Think you can battle?"

Rotom zips in front of me and giggles. "Rotom!"  
Eve lays down at my feet, waiting her turn. Buneary walks to the front of Dawn. She grins and readies for battle. I turn to Riley. He nods. "Begin!"  
"Ice Beam," Dawn shouts.

Buneary jumps into the air and fires a blue beam from her mouth. "Double Team."  
Rotom multiplies itself several times. Buneary aims at several of them, missing the real Rotom as the copies zip around. "Foresight."  
Buneary looks around, studying the Rotom flying around her. I grit my teeth as she grins. "Jump Kick."  
Buneary jumps into the air and kicks. She flies towards Rotom. "Thunder Wave."  
Rotom blasts a burst of electricity at Buneary, paralyzing her. Buneary still collides with Rotom. They both hit the ground. Buneary gets up and twitches. Rotom floats around the battlefield. I see some trainers watching our battle. "Shock Wave."  
Rotom blasts a huge amount of electricity through the area. Buneary screams and drops to her knees. She looks up at Rotom and growls. "Buneary, are you okay?" Dawn shouts.

Buneary turns to her and nods. "Bun."  
Buneary smiles and stands up. She starts glowing white and grows. I gasp and back up. The light fades, leaving a Lopunny standing in front of Rotom. I smile. "Electro Ball."  
Rotom creates a ball of electricity and fires it at Lopunny. "Double Team!"  
Lopunny copies herself and runs around. "Shock Wave!"  
"Jump into the air!"  
The copies leap over the pulse of electricity and look at Rotom. "Return!"

Lopunny lands and dashes at Rotom. She punches it, sending Rotom flying towards me. Rotom lands on the ground in front of me, knocked out. I return it to it's pokéball. I grin, then look at Prinplup. "Let's go."  
"Prin."  
She walks to the battlefield. "Return," Dawn says.

Lopunny dashes towards Prinplup. "Bide."  
Prinplup takes the hit. Dawn grits her teeth. "Double Team."  
Lopunny multiplies herself again and waits. "Now."  
Prinplup dashes forward at a copy. It flinches. "Release the energy!"  
Prinplup collides with Lopunny, sending her skidding across the battlefield. She drop to her knees, then falls over, defeated. Dawn returns her to her pokéball and smiles at it. "You did great, Lopunny."  
Dawn motions to Pachirisu. She runs to the battlefield. "Bubblebeam!"  
Prinplup fires several bubbles at Pachirisu. "Use Quick Attack to dodge, then use Thunderbolt!"  
Pachirisu dashes between the bubbles and appears behind Prinplup. I gasp. "Dodge it!"  
Prinplup starts running, but Pachirisu's Thunderbolt catches up. "Bide, Prinplup!"  
She holds her wings in front of her as the lightning collides with her. "Prin…"  
Eve watches in awe. " _Dawn's really strong, Chris._ "  
" _I know._ "  
The light fades and Prinplup is still standing. She's panting. She takes a step and uses Bubblebeam. I gasp. The bubbles are glowing white. She released the energy as Bubblebeam! The bubble collide with Pachirisu. She drops to the ground. "Pachi…"

"Can you keep fighting, Pachirisu?"

Pachirisu stands up and nods. "Risu!"  
"Spark."  
Pachirisu runs towards Prinplup. She can't dodge it and she can't take another hit. "Metal Claw!"

Prinplup hits Pachirisu with the Steel-type attack. The two of them knock each other back. They both collapse, knocked out. Riley is smiling. "I'm impressed. Keep going."  
Other trainers are sitting down and watching our fight. I return Prinplup. "Great job. You did really good."  
Dawn returns Pachirisu and looks at Buizel. I look at Riolu. "You ready?"  
Riolu nods. "Lu!"

He runs forward and readies for battle. His Aura flows around him. I do the same with mine. My hair starts moving as my Aura surrounds me. Riley smiles at me. Dawn does the same. "Aqua Jet, Buizel."  
"Detect."  
Riolu dodges Buizel's attack. "Force Palm."

"Dodge it and use Water Gun!"  
Riolu slams his hand forward, blasting his Aura forward. Buizel barely dodges it. He hits Riolu with the blast of water, knocking him back. "Aura Sphere."  
I hear one of the trainers gasp as I say it. A girl a few years older than me stands up. "I thought they could only learn it as Lucario."

I look at her. I form a ball using my Aura. "I can do it. Riolu can too."  
She takes a step back at my display. Riolu creates a ball of Aura and throws it forward. "Dodge it."  
Buizel starts running. I grin. "It's no use. Aura Sphere can't-"

The orb keeps flying forward, not turning towards Buizel. "Miss…?"  
Riley looks at me. "Riolu hasn't mastered his Aura yet, just as you haven't."  
The lady in the audience watches as the Aura Sphere dissipates. She has dark pink hair. She is wearing a blue tanktop and white pants. She has no shoes on. She seem familiar. I see a faint blue glow from her. I gasp. Riolu and Riley notice too. She looks at us. "What's wrong?"  
She steps forward. Dawn is confused. "What's up?"  
Riley walks over to her. "You have Aura?"  
She giggles. "Oh that. I have a Lucario in this pokéball."  
She points to the pokéball on her waist. "Oh," I groan. "What's your name?"

She smirks. "I'm Maylene, the Gym Leader of Veilstone City."  
I gasp and step back. "Maylene?!"  
She puts her hand out. "Nice to meet ya."  
I shake her hand. "I'm Chris."

I point to Dawn. "This is Dawn."  
Dawn waves. "Nice to meet you, Maylene."

"Nice to meet you. So, are you gonna continue the battle or what?"  
Riolu and Buizel ready themselves. "Aqua Jet."  
"Reversal."  
Buizel collides with Riolu. As Buizel stands up, Riolu spins around and punches him. Buizel flies backwards and lands in front of Dawn. He gets up and growls. "Bui!"  
"Use Water Gun."  
Riolu's Aura is starting to diminish. He doesn't have a lot left in him. I'll use it to my advantage. "Reversal."  
Riolu dashes forward and runs through the Water Gun. It's gonna finish him off, but he's not going down without a fight. Riolu punches Buizel with the last of his strength. Buizel falls over, knocked out. Riolu pants, then falls backwards. "Your turn, Eve."  
Eve gets up and slowly walks to the battleground. Monferno walks in front of Dawn. "My last pokémon, Dawn."  
"What about Staravia?"  
"I traded him out for Riolu. I hate doing that."  
"I'm not going to use her, Chris."  
"Good."  
Monferno and Eve. Whoever wins is the strongest of our pokémon. I'm excited.


	25. Chapter 25

Chapter 25: Eve Vs. Monferno

Dawn and I both grin at each other. "Mach Punch," Dawn commands.

"Protect, then use Dazzling Gleam!"  
Monferno dashes forward and punches. Eve puts up a barrier and blocks the attack. She then glows brightly, stunning Monferno. "Fire Spin!"  
Monferno breathes a spiral of fire that twirls around Eve. She's trapped. "Use Swift!"

Eve spins around and swings her tail. Stars fly out of the flaming vortex and chase after Monferno. "Use Flame Wheel to destroy them."

Monferno curls into a ball while breathing fire. He rolls through the attack and rolls into Eve. She is thrown by my feet. She gets up and flinches. Her leg has a burn on it. "Use the move we've been working on, Eve."  
She nods and starts glowing green. Monferno starts defending, but Eve doesn't attack. Her burn disappears. I smile. "Refresh."  
Dawn smirks. "I see you worked around status effects."

I nod. "After Hearthome Gym, I needed a way to counter them."  
"Mach Punch."  
Monferno runs forward, preparing to strike. "Bite."  
Eve latches onto Monferno's leg. He tries kicking her off immediately, but she dodges every swipe. I smile. "Let go and use Iron Tail."

She jumps back and jumps into the air. She does a front flip and swipes down. "Now, Monferno!"  
Monferno claps his hands together on Eve's tail. She gasps, dangling from Monferno's arms. "Eve!"  
"I figured you'd go for Iron Tail. Luckily, I trained Monferno to be able to counter it."

"I see. You also immobilized Eve."

"Yep."  
I grin. "Or so you think! Attract."  
"Let go now and run!"  
Monferno lets go of Eve and dashes away. Eve winks, sending hearts after Monferno. She starts walking towards him slowly, smiling at him. "Fire Spin. Destroy the hearts!"  
Monferno fires a plume of flames across the battleground, destroying the hearts. Eve is right in front of him now. She got burned from the flames above her. "Facade."  
Dawn gasps and Eve rams into Monferno, inflicting massive damage due to her burn. "Refresh."  
Eve starts healing her burn. "While she's open, use Mach Punch!"

Monferno makes contact this time, sending Eve flying through the air. She lands and yelps in pain. I gasp. "Eve!"

Dawn chuckles. "The biggest mistake you made was sending a Normal type to fight a Fighting type."

Eve grunts and tries to lift herself up. "Eve, stop!"  
" _NO! I'll never give up! I'll beat him! I'll beat Dawn's last pokémon for you!_ "  
"Stop!"

She stands up. " _Chris…_ "  
She turns her head to me and smiles. " _Believe in me._ "  
I smile at her. " _I believe in you._ "  
Eve turns back to Monferno and inhales. I feel her determination. She exhales. "Quick Attack."  
She dashes at Monferno and jumps at him. "Mach Punch!"

Monferno punches, about to collide with Eve. Suddenly, she glows white. Everyone gasps as Eve's form changes. Her ears grow longer and ribbon-like appendages grow on her. A bow appears on her ear and neck and she grows bigger. The light fades and Eve collides with Monferno. Monferno skids across the ground. Eve looks at me and smiles. "Sylveon!" she shouts.

"Eve! You evolved!"  
Dawn's mouth is gaping as she stares at Eve. I look at my Pokédex and scan Eve. "Sylveon, the Intertwining Pokémon and an evolved form of Eevee. Sylveon affectionately wraps its ribbon-like feelers around its Trainer's arm as they walk together."

I smile at Eve and see her new moves. "Alright, Eve. Moonblast!"  
Eve jumps back and creates a pink orb in front of her. Monferno gets up and glares at Eve. "Fire!"  
Eve fires Moonblast at Monferno, launching him into a tree. Dawn runs to him and checks on him. He's unconscious.

"Alright, send out Kirlia."  
She shakes her head. "I won't win."  
Riley gets up. "The victor of the battle is Chris and his Sylveon, Eve!"  
The trainers quickly run over to me to see Eve. "What's a Sylveon?" a little boy asks.

"What type is she?" a young woman asks.

Eve and I back away from the crowd. "I only know she's a Fairy type."  
"Fairy type?"  
"It's a type from the Kalos region."  
Eve and I back away. "I'd like some space, please."

Everyone starts leaving since the battle is over. As I return to Dawn, Eve wraps her feelers around my arm. " _Thanks for trusting me, Chris. Thanks to you, I was able to evolve._ "  
" _No problem, Eve. I guess the Pokédex wasn't lying about wrapping your feelers around me._ "

" _You_ do _know how I was able to evolve, right?_ "  
" _How?_ "  
" _Love._ "  
I look at her. She's smiling at me endearingly. " _Don't get any ideas, Eve. I'm already taken,_ " I say, jokingly.

Eve untangles her feelers from my arm as we reach Dawn. She returns Monferno and stays still. "Are you okay Dawn?"  
She turns around, smiling. She embraces me. "Thank you."  
I hug her back. "You're welcome."

"That was fun. We should battle again after a while."

"We should. After all, Buneary and Eve evolved from it."  
"We should go heal our pokémon, then meet Barry and Roark," Riley says.

I nod and the four of us walk towards the city.

We leave the Pokémon Center and start walking through the city, trying to find the two others. Riley is looking around. "Something wrong?"  
"No. I'm just not used to large cities."

While we were healing our pokémon, Riley changed back into the clothes he wore when I first met him. I see the gym in the distance. "I have a hunch on where they are."  
We walk to the front of the gym. Barry and Roark are sitting on a bench. Barry looks pissed. "Hey, what's up?" I ask him.

"The fuckin' gym leader isn't here!"  
I chuckle. "She was watch Dawn and I battle. Riolu and Eve walk out from behind me. Barry and Roark stare at Eve. "What the hell is she?"  
"Eve evolved into a Sylveon, Eevee's Fairy type evolution."  
Dawn lets out Lopunny. "Buneary also evolved. Our battle was pretty intense."

I hear a person approaching us. I turn and see Maylene. "Hey, it's you two."

"Hi Maylene. It's good to see you," I say.

She has a Lucario behind her. I definitely sensed his Aura instead. "The gym will be open tomorrow, so please stop by and challenge me. I'm looking forward to fighting Eve and Riolu."  
I nod. "I can't wait to fight Lucario."  
She looks at Dawn. "I can't wait to battle you, too. You did great out there."  
I motion to Barry and Roark. "This is my friend, Barry, and the gym leader of Oreburgh City, Roark."  
"A gym leader. Why aren't you at the gym?"  
"I've left it to my pupils. They're just as strong as me. I'm usually the first gym leader people challenge."

"I guess that's okay."  
We keep talking for a few minutes, then say our goodbyes. Riley, Dawn, and I walk to a park in the city to continue my training.

Riley positions his hands in front of him. Aura starts flowing around him. An orb appears in the space between his fingers. He moves his left hand away, holding the Aura Sphere in his hand. He makes it disappear next. "Create one," he says.

I nod and copy his movements. I create a sphere, but it's shaking. The orb isn't smooth-looking like his was. It's unstable. "Throw it at me, Chris."  
I nod and throw the sphere at him. He puts his left arm out. The Aura Sphere touches his hand, then shatters into blue smoke. "You need to gain control over your Aura. From what I've been taught, our type of Aura is one of the hardest to control."  
I look up at him. "Type?"  
"Yes. Our Aura is the Fighting Aura. It's also the first and most common Aura that Aura users have. There is an Aura for every type. Electric, Water, Fire, everything."

"How do you know this?"  
"My master had Steel type Aura. It's mainly defensive while ours is offensive. Anyway, we should continue."  
I sigh and make another Aura Sphere.

A few hours later, I crash on the Pokémon Center bed. I groan. Dawn giggles. "What are you laughing about?"

"You really worked hard out there."  
"It's so exhausting."

She lays down next to me. Sylveon gets on the bed with us and lays down. "Look, Chris. I'm really proud of you now. You worked hard in our battle and definitely during your training. You just need to assert yourself more into your training. Think of it as a battle. You fully immerse yourself in battles."

I sigh. "I'll be fine. I just need to get used to it."

I look at the Mega Stone on my wrist. I gasp and get up. I look at Riolu. I smile. "Yes!"

Dawn is staring at me, very confused. "What the hell is it?"  
I run out of the room. Dawn follows me. "Mega Evolution!"  
I quickly call Professor Sycamore. He answers. "Hello, Chris. Who is that?"

"This is my girlfriend, Dawn. We're traveling with a group. We have five people total. Anyway, I wanted to show you someone."

The professor nods. "Go ahead."  
I pick up Riolu at my feet. Sycamore smiles. "A Riolu! That's magnificent."

Professor Sycamore looks around. "Wait one second please."  
Dawn turns me around. "What the heck is Mega Evolution? And who is that?"  
"Oh, that's Professor Sycamore of the Kalos region. He's studying Mega Evolution, which is a type of evolution that some pokémon can attain. Lucario is one of them."  
"I'm still lost."

"Well, so am I. I have no idea what Mega Evolution is or how to attain it."  
"Then why do you care."  
"Chris!"

I turn to the screen and see Professor Sycamore walking into his lab along with a woman. She is wearing roller skates and a helmet. "This is Korrina, the Fighting type gym leader here and the heir to the Mega Evolution Guru."  
"Hello, Korrina."  
"Hello, Chris and Dawn. The professor filled me in."  
"Show him the stone," Sycamore says.

Korrina holds up a stone that looks similar to the Key Stone. "This is Lucarionite. You have a Key Stone, correct?"  
I nod. "Yes I do."  
She puts it in a pokéball and puts it down. The pokéball appears in a slot next to the screen. I open it and take out the Lucarionite. I send the package back. Sycamore takes it and puts it on the table next to him. "Thank you, Korrina."  
"When Riolu evolves, can you visit Kalos?" the professor asks.

"I'm kinda doing something important in Sinnoh right now."  
"Oh, right. I… forgot. Rowan told me earlier and told me to help any way I can. After all, the world is at stake."

Korrina turns to Sycamore. "What?!"

I facepalm. "Nothing you can do about it Korrina. It's something here in Sinnoh."  
"After we take care of it, I can visit. I promised Eve, my Eevee."

"Oh, how is she doing?"  
"She evolved today."  
"Into what?"  
"A Sylveon!"

Sycamore smiles. "Amazing. A Fairy type in Sinnoh!"  
"I've got to go Professor. I'm exhausted."  
"Get some rest. Call back soon."  
"Goodbye."

Sycamore waves and we both hang up. I start dialing another number. "Who are you calling now?"  
"My mom. I want her to know about my pokémon, too. I also kind of miss her."  
"That's sweet."  
Mom picks up. "Chris! I'm so glad you called."

"Hi, Mom. I've got some news."

"What is it?"

"I have some more pokémon. Riolu waves and Sylveon peeks her head up. "This is Riolu and Eve, my Sylveon."  
"That's amazing. I've never even heard of a Sylveon! It's one of the evolutions of Eevee."

I grab another pokéball. "I also have this one."  
We all step back. I throw the pokéball into the air and Darkrai appears. Mom jumps back. "D-d-d-Darkrai?!"  
Darkrai nods. "This is my friend, Darkrai. We got into a bit of trouble in Alamos Town."  
"What did you do?"

"Not us! Dialga and Palkia nearly killed everyone in the town!"

Mom is silent and surprised, then she laughs. "That's a nice joke. It's a Ditto, right?"  
I glare at her through the screen. I start making my Aura flare up. Mom stares back at me. "You're… serious?"  
I nod. "Very. We almost died."  
Mom sighs. "You see… that just sounds entirely unbelievable."

" _Just give it up, Chris,_ " Darkrai says. " _She's not going to believe it until we meet in person_."  
I sigh and return Darkrai. "Well, I just wanted to say hello, Mom."

She smiles. "I know. Well, you better get to bed. Where are you now?"

"We're in Veilstone City. Barry's probably gonna challenge the gym leader tomorrow."  
"What about you? I want to see at least one of your gym battles."  
I freeze up, shocked. "What?… Maybe tomorrow, most likely the day after. I've got things to do."  
"Like what? You're fifteen. You've got time."

'Yeah, right. It's not like the world's gonna end in two years,' I think to myself.

"I've gotta train."

"Oh, I get it. I'll help you train your pokémon tomorrow."  
"How can you get here in a day?!"  
"I've been all around Sinnoh. Pidgeot knows the lay of the land."  
I sigh. "I guess I'll see you tomorrow, then."  
"See you, honey."  
"Bye."  
I hang up and start walking back to the room. When we get back, I sit in a chair and inspect the Lucarionite. "I wonder if Riley could use it…"  
Dawn looks at me. "Should you waste the first time you see Mega Evolution?"  
"What do you mean?"  
"Don't you want it to be Riolu to do it first?"  
I look at Riolu. He smiles at me. "Lu!"  
I smile and put the stone in my bag. "Yes."  
Eve walks over to me and lays on the floor. I grab a few pillows out of my bag and put them on the floor. Riolu and Eve lay down on them and go to sleep. I get in bed with Dawn and lay awake. Dawn puts her arm around me. "Tomorrow is for tomorrow's you, Chris. Remember that."  
I smile and scoot closer to her. She kisses my cheek right before I fall asleep.


	26. Chapter 26

Chapter 26: Johanna Moore

I wake up when the sun's rays hit my face through the window. I don't feel anyone beside me. I sit up and rub my eyes. I hear the shower running. I get up and get dressed. Dawn gets out of the bathroom, wearing a towel. We both turn red upon seeing each other. Dawn suddenly grins. I see the semi-familiar look in her eyes. I walk towards her and kiss her. She returns the kiss and wraps her arms around me. I feel her towel roll up from behind her. The only thing between the two of us is her towel. She stop kissing me and smiles. "It's cold in here," she says, giggling.

"Get dressed. I'll be waiting in the lobby."

"I was thinking-"  
"Stop thinking. You're horny."

"Damn."  
I walk out of the room, leaving Dawn to change. Riolu follows me, oblivious to what just happened. Eve is staring at me, smirking. " _Stop thinking about me and Dawn kissing, Eve._ "

" _Why should I? You two look adorable together._ "

I reach the lobby and stop. I see Mom standing in the lobby. She is looking at me. "There you are."  
I walk over to her. She hugs me. "It's been awhile since I've seen you in person."  
"The others should be waking up just now."

I sit on the couch next to Mom and wait for the rest. Dawn comes out with Riley. I stand up and walk over to Dawn. We hug and I wave at Riley. "Let's go," he says.

I nod and start walking to the door followed by Dawn. Mom runs over. "Aren't you going to wait for Barry and Roark?"  
Dawn giggles. "They already left. They've been getting up early the past few days to train their pokémon."  
"Oh. Then let's go train."  
We walk away from the town to the spot Dawn and I battled at. Mom looks at the damages. "What happened here?"  
"Dawn and I battled."

"They were magnificent!" Riley says.

Mom turns to him. "Also, who are you?"

"I'm sorry. My name is Riley. I'm from Iron Island."  
"Really?"  
Riley turns to me. "Let's begin."

I nod. Mom gets out a pokéball. "Show me how strong you've gotten Chris."  
I turn to her. "We aren't battling."

Mom cocks her head. "What?"  
Riley and I both flare up our Auras. "I'm training to control Aura."

Mom backs up. "What the…"

"I have an ancient power that dates back to the beginning of time, Mom."  
"And it's seems his power is enormous," Riley adds on.

Dawn nods. "He's amazing."  
Riley and I both create Aura Spheres. Riolu copies us, joining in. Riley throws his into the air and brings his right hand back next to his face. He shoves his arm forward, releasing a blast of Aura that destroys the sphere. I gasp. "What was that?"  
"That is what is known as a Force Palm. It's Lucario's version of it. Normally, Fighting types make physical contact, but Lucario blasts his Aura outwards to attack an enemy. Attempt it."

I throw my sphere into the air and copy the motions Riley did. I try to expel Aura, but it blasts only a few feet forward. I gasp as the ball of Aura falls back down towards me. Dawn gets up and throws herself on me to get us both away. Riley steps where the ball will land and grabs it. He grunts and is forced a few inches into the ground. He surrounds his arms in Aura and throws it into the sky. The orb detonates with a massive explosion. We all watch in terror as the Aura dissipates. Riley turns to me. "To think that that Aura Sphere contained so much energy. It's magnificent. You've improved so much so quickly."

"Really?"  
"It took me months to get where you are now. I worked extremely hard to improve my Aura to be able to do that."

He points to the sky. "That power is dangerous and unstable. You need to work on mental control and constitution. Without that, your raw power is destructive and harmful to everything in the universe."

"I can't tell if you're praising me or scolding me."

"It's both. You have more power in you than I originally thought."

"I thought that was only a little bit of my power."

Riley's eyes widen. "What did you say?"

"I thought…"  
"I know what you said. That was only a tiny portion of your power? You probably have the power to destroy to entire planet if you tried."

Mom and Dawn back away from me. "You don't have to stay away from him. Unless he targets you or the planet, his Aura is harmless."

Dawn scoots next to me and hugs me. "You would never hurt me, right?"

"Never. I wouldn't even think about it."

Dawn smiles and pulls me closer. Mom is smiling at the two of us. "How do I control this power?"  
"This is why I trained on Iron Island, Chris. You could meditate or anything you can do to make your mind and spirit into one being. Aura comes from within, Chris. Some people can only grasp the full power of their Aura in times of great stress and others grasp their full power through lifelong training and practice. Either way, you could die before you finally control your Aura. It'll take much longer for you to fully grasp the power of yours. The power will show itself little by little, gaining more power each time you bring out your potential."

I nod. "For now, you should focus on mental training before we proceed any further in practice."

I close my eyes. "Alright."  
I stand up and Dawn releases me. I look at Mom. "You wanted to see how strong I've become. I have the answer now. You can't win."  
She smirks. "Really? I'm a lot tougher than I look."  
Eve and Riolu walk forward. I let out Rotom and Prinplup. I grab my last two pokéballs. "These two are my strongest pokémon."

I let Darkrai out. "You saw him last night."  
I look at Uxie's pokéball. "This is one I caught after my first day of becoming a trainer."

"Your Shinx?"

I shake my head. "Staravia?"  
I shake my head. "Much stronger."

I throw it into the air. Mom's expression changes from curiosity to shock as Uxie appears in front of her. " _Hello,_ " she says. " _I'm Uxie, the Legendary Pokémon of Knowledge._ "  
Mom backs up, shaking. "U-U-U-Uxie?…"  
Riley is also shocked. I nod to Dawn. She throws Mesprit's pokéball into the air. Mom looks down as Mesprit appears. "Impossible."  
"Barry has Azelf. We've promised to not use them for gym battles."

Dawn chuckles. "Most gym battles."

I grin. "I had to use her in Roark's."  
Mom turns around. "It really is Darkrai, isn't it."  
" _Yes,_ " he says. " _I am the Nightmare Pokémon, Darkrai._ "  
I see tears on Mom's face. "I can hardly recognize you. Are you even my son?"  
I walk through the crowd of pokémon and embrace Mom. "I love you, Mom."

"I love you, too."  
Dawn walks through and hugs the both of us. "I might as well call you Mom as well."  
Mom smiles and starts crying some more. "I love the both of you!" she says.

Dawn smiles. "It's been a long time since I've been told that by a parent, well, future mother-in-law."  
"Already announcing your marriage?" Mom replies. "You really have grown up."  
My Pokétch starts beeping. I turn around and quickly return Uxie and Darkrai. Dawn returns Mesprit just as quickly. She lets out Lopunny and stands beside me. "Eve. Get over here."  
She nods. I look around for Miror B. "Get out here. We know you're here!"

"You better listen, Miror B. You and Team Galactic are never going to win!"

Trudly and Folly walk out of the forest. "You really think so?"  
Miror B. walks out of the woods behind them. Alongside him, I see two others. I gasp. "Mars?!"

She grins. "Surprised?"

Jupiter is on the other side of Miror B. I smirk. "Rotom."  
Rotom zips to the front of me. "Remember us, Jupiter?"

Mom is watching us, confused as hell. Riley lets out Lucario. "Team Galactic."  
Mars looks at him. "You… You were at Valley Windworks."  
"That doesn't matter," Jupiter says. "Hand over Uxie and Mesprit."  
"Never."  
Mars steps forward. "I'll ask you again in case you misunderstood."  
She snaps her fingers. Three grunts walk out of the woods. They each have guns pointing to three different people. Barry, Roark, and Looker are their hostages. Another grunt is holding a purple force field. Azelf is inside. She's knocked out. I gasp and back up. "No…"  
Dawn steps forward. "Over our dead bodies!"  
Mom taps on my shoulder. "Chris… would you kindly tell me WHAT THE FUCK IS GOING ON?!"  
I chuckle nervously. I point to the people in front of us. "This is Team Galactic. They want to destroy the world as we know it and bring about a new beginning."

I see a giant shadow over the ground. I look up and see a giant hot air balloon. Two people jump out and land in the tree. They jump to the ground. It's Jessie and James, but they're wearing white uniforms with a red 'R' on it. "Prepare for trouble," Jessie says.

"Make it double," James continues.

"To protect the world from devastation."  
"To unite all peoples within our nation."  
"To denounce the evils of truth and love."  
"To extend our reach to the stars above."  
"Jessie."

"James."  
"Team Rocket blasts off at the speed of light."  
"Surrender now or prepare to fight."  
They stand still as if waiting for something, then they both open their mouths.

Suddenly a Meowth runs up behind them. "Meowth, dat's right!"  
They both jump and stare at the Meowth. We are all staring at them, confused. "Meowth," James says. "You're here!"

"I've always been near ya. I came to Sinnoh with ya."  
"It's just like old times," Jessie says.

[Song: Team Galactic Boss Battle Remix by GlitchxCity]

Miror B. walks forward and throws two pokéballs. Two Ludicolo appear. Mars and Jupiter both throw pokéballs as well. Golbat and Purugly appear. I growl and get ready for a fight. Several grunts run out of the woods and throw their pokéballs. There's at least twenty pokémon. They may be weak individually, but together… " _Hand me over, Chris! You know you can't win this._ "

" _Never._ "  
"Eve, Moonblast! Riolu, Aura Sphere! Prinplup, Bubblebeam! Rotom, Thunderbolt!"

I grab the two pokéballs on my belt. "Darkrai, Dark Pulse! Uxie, Psychic!"

My pokémon all attack in unison. Dawn smiles and tosses all her pokéballs into the air. "Lopunny, Dizzy Punch! Buizel, Aqua Jet! Pachirisu, Spark! Monferno, Mach Punch! Mesprit, Psybeam!"  
Her pokémon start attacking. Riley smiles. "Lucario, Force Palm!"  
Mom walks forward and takes out two pokéballs. "Pidgeot, Wing Attack! Weavile, Night Slash!"  
She throws the pokéballs and her two pokémon appear. They attack relentlessly. I watch Mom command her pokémon. It's just like me. Dawn looks at me. "Now I know why you're such a natural at pokémon battles!"  
I smirk. "Riolu, use Force Palm on Mars' Purugly!"

He nods. "Rotom and Uxie, use Thunderbolt and Psywave on Jupiter's Golbat!"  
"Eve and Prinplup, use Moonblast and Metal Claw on the Ludicolo!"  
"Darkrai, use Dark Void!"

" _On who?_ "  
"All of our enemies."  
He chuckles and raises both of his arms up. " _Dark… Void!_ "  
The attack flies over the battlefield, hitting every pokémon on their side. Mars and Jupiter stare at me. I grin. I create an Aura Sphere and throw it towards them. They start running. "Retreat!"  
I smile and turn to Dawn. She smiles at me.

[Song End; Song: Pokémon Diamond/Pearl/Platinum: Battle! Team Galactic Boss Cyrus (Remix) by The Zame Jack]

"What is that?!" Mom yells.

I turn back to the battle. White slashes are flying through the air. "It's Air Slash!"  
They all hit Darkrai. He yells and falls over, knocked out. The pokémon wake up and keep attacking. A Crobat flies out of the woods. It keeps using Air Slash on our pokémon. I see one hit Prinplup, Riolu, Rotom, and Uxie. They all crash to the ground. All of them except Uxie faint. I gasp. With the exception of Mesprit, Dawn's pokémon are defeated. Weavile, Lucario, and Pidgeot aren't looking good. A man walks out of the woods. I gasp and drop to my knees. Cyrus stares directly at me as he throws another pokéball. A Weavile appears and starts attacking. "Eve, use Moonblast on Cyrus!"  
She starts the attack. "Use Cross Poison on his Sylveon, Crobat."  
Crobat launches purple slashes at Sylveon. She flies back and lands by me. She's knocked out. "What?!"

"By the way, Chris," Cyrus says. "Fairy is weak to Poison."  
My eyes nearly bulge out of my head. I growl. "Uxie, attack him!"

"Weavile, Night Slash."

His Weavile attacks both Uxie and Mesprit, knocking them both out with ease. All of our pokémon are down now. I feel tears in my eyes. "No…"  
Cyrus grabs both Uxie and Mesprit. I growl and yell into the sky. I stand up and jump at Cyrus. He turns around and forms a purple force around his hand. I gasp. He jabs me in the stomach. "Poison Aura," he says. "You and that man aren't the only Aura users in Sinnoh."  
I feel sick. Uxie opens her eyes. " _We'll be fine. Train your Aura! Don't go after us!_ "  
I look at Jessie and James. Their pokémon are down as well. Cyrus passes by the grunts holding Barry, Roark, and Looker hostage. "Release them. They will cause no harm."

He turns to Miror B., Trudly, Folly, and Mars. "Jupiter, come with me."  
She nods, following him. "Grunts, kill the four of them. They are failures."

Miror B. and the rest gasp and start running. I watch as the grunts shoot four bullets. I hear four bodies hit the ground. Team Galactic starts walking away. I drop to the ground and faint.


	27. Chapter 27

Chapter 27: Hope Lost

I wake up with Dawn, Riley, and Mom standing over me. I grunt as I get up. I hurt all over. "Stop, Chris," Riley says. "I'm making the cure for the poison."

I lay back down. "Sorry for swearing Mom, but fuck."

"I don't care if you swear Chris. If anything, now is the time to say them. Dawn and Barry told me everything."

Dawn is crying. "Chris. We failed. He got them."  
I groan. "Let's not focus on that now. You heard Uxie."  
Riley gives me a cup with a green mixture. "This will cure you. It'll take awhile to get through your systems, but you'll be fine."

I drink it and nearly spit it out. I swallow it and keep drinking the antidote until it's gone. I give the cup back to Riley. "Thank you."

I sit, leaning on the tree behind me. Looker sits down next to me. "We screwed up. Team Galactic. Those bastards took our only hope."

I sigh. "No they didn't. I still have one Legendary Pokémon and my entire team."  
"But… Cyrus beat them all easily."  
"That doesn't mean I can't train."

I see Eve walking to me. She's all scratched up. She wraps her feelers around my arm and snuggles up next to me. " _Can we win Chris?_ "

" _Excuse me?_ "

Eve looks up at me. " _What?_ "

" _Is this Eve I'm talking to?_ "  
" _Yes._ "

" _Really? The Eve I know wouldn't be moping around, sad that we lost the Lake Trio. She would be wanting to attack Cyrus head-on and retaliate!_ "

Eve closes her eyes and moves closer to me. Mom is staring at the two of us, confused. Dawn looks at her. "He can talk to her through his Aura."  
"Okay," she says quickly. "I'm at the point where I'll believe anything right now."

Looker walks over to her. "You do know that you can't tell anyone else about this. This is International Police business."

She nods. "Of course."

Dawn walks over to me and joins Sylveon in embracing me. I look at her and smile. She frowns. "We lost, Chris. There's nothing we can do."

I lift up her chin and kiss her. I feel her tears on my face. She doesn't wrap her arms around me. I stop kissing. She looks back down. "Stop, Chris. There's nothing you can do to make me feel better."

I wrap my right arm around her and pull her closer. She lays her head on me. I kiss her head. "We'll get through this."

I look around. "Where's Barry?"  
"He went to the Pokémon Center," Mom answers.

I lay back. "I'm going too."

Sylveon gets up and walks alongside me. Riolu stands up and follows as well. I hear Dawn get up and follow me. I limp into the Pokémon Center. Nurse Joy gasps. "What happened?"  
"Nothing too bad. We're fine. Our pokémon need healing, though."  
" _I'll go into my pokéball, Chris,_ " Eve says.

" _I will too,_ " Riolu says.

I look at him. " _You can talk. Great!_ "

" _I'll see you in a bit._ "  
I return them both and hand my pokémon to Nurse Joy. She looks at their condition. "It's bad. Sylveon and Riolu are the best, but Darkrai is in critical condition. It'll be a few hours before I can give your pokémon back. Can you wait that long?"  
I nod. "Yes."

Dawn gives hers. "Check mine too. If they aren't bad, I'll wait for you to finish his."

She puts them in the machine. "Nothing too bad. I mean worse than usual. Just who did you fight? They really hurt your pokémon."

"Just got a little out of hand."  
"I can take them all. I'll heal Darkrai first, though."

I nod. "Thank you."  
Nurse Joy takes the pokéballs on a cart to the back. Dawn and I walk to our room to wait.

I sit in the chair at a desk and Dawn lays on the bed. She looks at me, then gets up. She walks over to me and sits down on my legs, facing me. She starts kissing me. I know what she wants. She starts taking her shirt off. I do the same.

A half hour later, Dawn and I lay next to each other. Dawn lays next to me, still unhappy. "I thought it would make us feel better," she says.

"That's why I didn't argue."

She smiles. "It felt great, Chris. I thought you were underaged, though."

"It was illegal, but… I have to admit, it did feel good."  
She smiles, then kisses my cheek. "We won't do it again until your birthday, okay?"  
I nod and grab her hand. "Agreed."

She moves closer, pressing her naked body against me. She's not very big, but I don't care. She's perfect. She giggles. "I don't think I'll ever forget this moment, Chris. Ever."

"Post-sex talking?"

"You know what I mean. Us sympathizing. We didn't say a word to each other after we walked into the room, yet we knew what we each wanted."

She kisses me. "Thank you, though. I'm sorry it came sooner than you wanted it."

"To be honest, I've always wanted it. I just didn't want it to be illegal. I could probably get away with it anyway."

She hugs me, pressing her breasts against me even more. "I guess we both got what we wanted then."

We leave the room an hour later and wait in the lobby. Dawn is laying her head against me, exhausted. "We could have slept, Dawn."

"I want to wait out here."  
"You can sleep if you want to, Dawn."

"Thanks, honey."

"Love you, sweetie."

"Love you."  
She closes her eyes. I fall asleep too. I wake up being shaken by Nurse Joy. "Your pokémon are healed."

I wake up Dawn. We both walk to the counter and pick up our pokémon. "I'm sorry for the long wait," Nurse Joy says.

"It's no problem," I reply. "It happens."

Nurse Joy smiles. "Have a wonderful day."

"I'll try," Dawn says.

We both walk out of the Pokémon Center. I see Mom and Roark sitting together in the park. They're talking. Suddenly, Mom leans her head against him. I turn around and forget I saw that. "Does your Mom-"

"Don't remind me I saw that."

We continue walking through the city trying to find something to occupy ourselves with. Dawn is still clingy at the moment. She's seems indifferent now. "Let's get something to eat."

She nods. We enter a cafe and sit at a table. Dawn is looking in her coffee, frowning. "Cheer up Dawn."  
"It's just Mesprit. My friend got taken."

"Mine did too. They'll be fine, Dawn. They're Legendary Pokémon."

The waitress walks over. "Have you decided on anything?"  
"Give us a few minutes."

She nods and walks away. I see Jessie and James sitting at a table with Meowth. They're talking with each other as if nothing even happened. I remember what Uxie said at the beginning of our journey. Dawn is the most emotion driven out of all of us. I smile at her. "Have you decided?"  
She nods. "Yeah."

"I'm sad too Dawn."  
"You don't show it."

"I'm trying not to. Focus on something that makes you happy, Dawn."  
She sighs. "I'll try, but I don't think I can."

I sigh. "You know, just because Cyrus won this battle doesn't mean we lost the war. We have to train and train hard. Tomorrow, we're all going to challenge the gym. We'll head to the next one and stop at nothing until we believe we're strong enough to take Team Galactic head on."  
Dawn is starting to wobble. "Let's eat, then go to bed. I'm exhausted."  
I lower my voice. "Having sex does that to you. I'm tired, too. It's been a long day."

We walk through the park, passing by Mom. "Chris, come sit with us."

I look at Dawn. She shrugs. "As long as I can sleep while you guys talk, I'm fine."

The two of us sit down next to them on the bench. Roark sighs. "What now, Chris?"

Dawn leans on me, falling asleep. "I don't really know. I'm been trying to cheer up Dawn for now."

Mom look at us. "You eat?"  
"Yeah."  
"Go shopping?"  
"We're both too tired."

"Sleep?"  
"A little bit."  
"'Do it'?"

"Her idea," I say without thinking.  
I gasp realizing what I just said. Roark groans. "Not even two years and you already bedded someone."

I glare at him. "She just wanted to try it and cheer us both up. It didn't work really well, as you can see."

"Was it good?" Mom asks.

"I'm not talking about my sex life with you, Mom… but, yeah. It was nice."

She chuckles, then sighs. "You really are grown up."  
"I pretty much act like an adult already. I put other people ahead of myself."

I look at Dawn. My Dawn Berlitz. I kiss her cheek. I lightly elbow her. She opens her eyes and looks at me. "Let's get some sleep."  
She gets up. "You don't have to tell me twice."  
I wave to Mom and Roark. "See you in the morning. Mom, are you going to stay for the gym battle?"  
She nods. "Yeah. I'm leaving after, though."

A few minutes later, Dawn and I are lying next to each other. She's asleep, but I don't think I can. I get out of bed and walk to the window. I open the blinds and look over the city. I walk to my bag and open it. I grab a few things. I sit down and look at them. I hold Uxie's pokéball and stare at it. The item that started my journey. I set it down on the table and open my trainer case. I pick up Roark's badge. It's dirty. I grab a towel on the desk and wipe it. I don't stop until it's shiny. I wash all of my badges. Gardenia's and Fantina's. I put them back in the case and look at Eve. I imagine her as an Eevee again. It's seems like I caught her yesterday, yet here she is. She's a strong Sylveon. I look at Riolu. I close my eyes and think when I found his egg. I imagine Riley placing it there, yet I never notice him until he hatches. I take off my Mega Bracelet and look at the Key Stone. I grab my Lucarionite. I look at Riolu. "Someday… someday, you will be granted this power, Riolu."  
I put my bracelet back on and return my Mega Stone to my bag. I take out one last item. I hold it and smile. It's a picture of Dawn and I during our second contest. It's when we did our heart pose. I feel my face. A tear is on my cheek. I raise my left hand to my face. I surround it with my Aura. I put my arm down, stopping the flow of Aura. I take a deep breath and start meditating.

[Team Galactic HQ, Cyrus' POV]

I sit at my desk, thinking. I've spent many nights awaiting the day I finally get my hands on them. I let out Crobat, who flies above my shoulder. I scratch his cheek. He says his name happily. I smile, then gasp. I return to my indifferent expression. "I can't let them know…"

I click a button on my desk. A TV screen raises out of it. It flips on. Charon is testing on the Trio. He flips a switch and they get electrocuted. I grit my teeth as the three of them scream in pain. I feel something on my eye. I wipe it off with my finger. I look at the tear, then dry my hand off with a tissue. I turn away from the screen and press the button again. The screen returns to the inside of my desk. I stand up and push on a part of the wall. It flips down. I look out over Sinnoh. I grit my teeth and close my eyes tightly. I close the window and lock the door. I sit at my desk and put my face down. I cry. "I'm so sorry… Everyone… I'm sorry…"


	28. Chapter 28

Chapter 28: Veilstone Gym

[Chris' POV]

I wake up when Dawn shakes me. I look around. "What?" I ask.

She sighs. "What did you do last night? You're sleeping in a chair."  
I chuckle. "I was meditating. Focusing my Aura will really help."  
Dawn smiles. "You've really changed in such a short time."

"You seem to be doing a bit better today."

"I thought about what you said. You're right. I need to focus on the things in life that bring me joy."

I smile at her. She kisses me. "You're one of them," she says.

I stand up and hug her. "You're back. The Dawn I know is back."  
"It's because of you that I'm like this again. I'm nobody without you."

"Don't say that. You're everything to me."

She leans into me. "I love you."  
"I do too, Dawn."  
We let each other go. Dawn gets some clothes from her bag. She starts undressing. I feel my face turn red. She looks up at me. "What's wrong?"

I get clothes out of my bag and start dressing. "You didn't give any warning."  
She turns to me. "You know me. I don't give warnings to you."  
I snicker. "Tell that to me again when we're fighting Team Galactic."  
"You know what I mean, Chris."  
She puts on her shirt and pants. "I'm going for a different look."  
"You're not wearing your coat?"

I zip up my jacket and reach for my hat. "Not today."

She pulls out a jacket that looks similar to mine. It's red instead of blue, though. She puts on the jacket and zips it up. She wraps her white scarf around her neck and turns to me. "How do I look?"  
We both turn to the mirror. I take off my hat. "You look a lot like me."

"I think I should act like you, so I decided to dress like you first."  
She puts her beanie on and I look at my hat. I put it in my bag and walk to the door. I grab my belt on the dresser and clip it on my waist. Dawn follows me out. I let out Eve and Riolu. " _Chris?_ " Riolu asks.

"We're going to challenge Maylene today. We're going to win."  
Eve nods. " _Let's go._ "  
Riolu smiles. " _We can do this!_ "  
I look at Dawn. "Let's get going."  
We walk out of the door and walk to the exit. I wave to Nurse Joy and leave. Dawn and I sit outside the Pokémon Center, waiting for the others. Dawn looks at me. "About yesterday…"

"It's fine, Dawn. It was a lot."  
"No. It's just… we didn't wait. You wanted to."

I grab her hand. "It's fine."

She grabs a pokéball and looks at it. She grits her teeth. "Cyrus…"  
"Should we tell Cynthia?"  
I hear someone walk up next to us. "I think we should," James says. "After all, we failed in that regard."  
I sigh. "It's not our fault. We didn't know Cyrus was there. If he wasn't, we would've won."

James sits. "I don't know. It was just…"

"Veon?" Eve finishes.

"You got 'dat right," Meowth says.

I lean forward. He's sitting next to James. James is wearing his uniform. "Is that your Team Rocket get up?"

He nods. "From a long time ago. Well, not _that_ long."  
"What made you quit?"

"I'm naturally gifted at becoming friends with pokémon. It just doesn't seem right for Team Rocket to have that quality. It was also Jessie. When I realized I loved her, I knew Team Rocket wouldn't be good for our life. Life behind bars for being in Team Rocket wasn't what I wanted my future to be. It's not like I would've been in there long. Team Rocket disbanded months later. Apparently a few kids took them down. Two young men who went to face the Pokémon League and a young girl. I heard she was a thief."  
"I guess we won't be the first kids to overthrow an evil organization," Dawn says.

"Won't you both be adults by the time they attempt to destroy the world?"

Dawn chuckles nervously. "Oh, that slipped my mind."  
"I'll be seventeen," I say.

"Eighteen."

I hear the Pokémon Center door open. I see Barry, Roark, and everyone else come out. Dawn, James, Meowth, and I stand up. Dawn and I walk over to the group. Barry looks at the two of us. "Dawn? Is that you?"

She nods. "I want to be more like Chris, so I've decided to dress like him a bit."  
Dawn seems very different. She seems more confident than usual. She takes a deep breath. "I'd like to challenge Maylene first," she says.

"Don't you usually see how gym leaders battle first?"  
"You don't. You take the challenge head on and fight no hard no matter what they through your way."  
Roark observes the two of us. "You two have changed so much since our battle back in Oreburgh."  
We start heading towards the gym. Riley walks up to me. "Did something happen after they were taken?"

"Nothing much."  
He keeps staring at me. "I'm sensing that more is going on than you're letting on."

I lift up my left hand and surround it in Aura. I stop walking. Everyone turns to me. I bring my arm back. I thrust my palm into the air. A boom rings through the air as I expel my Aura in a Force Palm. Riley watches in awe. "Amazing. Your Aura. It's… incredible. You've improved so much over the past couple days."

"I was meditating for what was probably hours last night. I thought about everything that has happened on this journey and every choice I made. I thought about the Legendary Pokémon, Mega Evolution, the war 3,000 years ago, everything. I recognized something. If I want to save the world, I need to focus on improving both my pokémon and my Aura. That's where everyone comes in. Riley and Dawn to train my Aura, then all of you to train our pokémon, not just mine. We all need to be strong if we want to win this war that Cyrus started."

"Now that we know Cyrus is an Aura user, we know he'll be incredibly tough," Barry adds on.

"Don't remind me. That poison was terrible."  
Mom is still silent. She takes a deep breath and keeps walking.

Dawn steps into the gym first. I'm right behind her, followed by Barry. All of us except Dawn head to the stands. On the wall across from Dawn, a door opens. I feel a great amount of Aura on the other side. Two figures run out, shrouded in smoke. One figure flips through the air and lands across from Dawn. The other rolls to the side of her. The smoke and dirt fade away. Maylene and a Lucario stand next to each other. A white bracelet is on Maylene's left wrist. "What's that bracelet?" I ask out loud.

"It's look kind of like yours, Chris," Mom answers.

I look at my Mega Bracelet. "Can her Lucario Mega Evolve?"

Maylene steps forward. "Welcome to the Veilstone Pokémon Gym. I am Maylene, the gym leader."

Dawn steps forward. "My name is Dawn Berlitz from Sandgem Town! I challenge you to a gym battle!"

A referee walks to the side of the arena. "The battle between Maylene and the challenger, Dawn, will now commence! Please send out your first pokémon."  
Maylene and Dawn throw their pokéballs at the same time. On Dawn's side, Buizel appears, and on Maylene's, a Meditite. "The first round begins now!"  
"Meditite, Fake Out!"

Meditite dashes forward and smacks Buizel. He flinches. "Aqua Jet!"  
"Trap him with Rock Tomb!"

Meditite's eyes glow and she tosses several rocks around Buizel. Buizel tries swimming towards her, but rocks block him from every direction. "Now use Drain Punch, Meditite."

Meditite leaps into the air and falls down, fist first. Her fist glows green. Dawn grins. I chuckle. "She found a huge opening."  
"Buizel, dash straight into Meditite using Aqua Jet."

Buizel jumps up and surrounds himself with water. Meditite punches at him. "Use Water Gun!"

I smile. Buizel blasts water at Meditite point blank. Buizel lands on a rock and Meditite crashes to the ground. Meditite grunts as she gets up. Suddenly, she flinches and collapses. Maylene gasps. "With one attack?!"

The referee points towards Dawn. "The winner of the round is Dawn and Buizel!"  
Buizel and Dawn both smirk. Lucario looks at Maylene. "Lucar?"

"Not yet."  
He nods and sits down. She returns Meditite. "Thanks. You did great."  
Maylene grabs another pokéball and throws it. A Machoke appears. Dawn nods to Buizel. Buizel smiles and nods back. "Water Gun."  
"Dodge it and use Focus Energy."

Machoke jumps to the left and glows a red light. "Dawn, watch out! His attacks could do some serious damage!" Roark yells.

Dawn nods to us. "Thanks for the warning!"

"Aqua Jet, Buizel!"

"Strength!"  
I sigh. "And she ignores the warning…"

"I guess she really is like you," Barry taunts.

I glare at him. Barry laughs. "I'm just kidding."  
"You better be."  
Eve snuggles up next to me. I start petting her. Buizel is flying around Machoke. Machoke ignores him, waiting for the perfect time. "Now!" Dawn commands.

Buizel stops for a split second. Maylene grins. Machoke punches Buizel immediately, sending him flying into a rock from the Rock Tomb. He slides in front of Dawn. Dawn sighs and returns him. She looks at the pokéball. "Thanks for your help. You did great."  
"What's with the one move matches?" Roark asks.

"I don't know, but I think this is the end of that."

Dawn throws a pokéball. Monferno appears in front of her. The referee chops the air. "Begin!"

"Mach Punch," Dawn orders.

Monferno dashes forward and punches at Machoke. "Strength! Grab the punch!"

Machoke slams his hand forward, extinguishing the force from Monferno's Mach Punch. "Flamethrower!"  
Monferno jumps back and blasts a stream of fire at Machoke. "Jump and use Karate Chop."  
Machoke jumps. "Use Flame Wheel!"  
Monferno curls into and ball and breathes fire. He rolls towards Machoke and jumps upward. Machoke chops the ball of fire as they collide in midair. They both fly back landing on their feet. They are both panting. "You ready Monferno?"  
He nods. "Fire Spin! Trap him."  
Monferno breathes a spiral of fire that creates a vortex. Machoke is caught inside of it. "Use Rock Tomb!"

Machoke kicks several rocks at Monferno, which land around him. "Run through the flames and use Karate Chop!"  
Machoke bursts through the inferno and dashes towards Monferno, who has nowhere to run. "Catch his hand!"  
Machoke chops down, but Monferno slaps his hands onto Machoke's. Machoke yells and thrusts his hand down. He makes contact, really hurting Monferno. Machoke starts walking away, thinking he's won. Monferno grunts. He looks back. Monferno gets up slowly and growls. He breathes fire into the air angrily. Monferno glows white. I gasp. "He's evolving!" Mom shouts.

Monferno grows taller and his head starts flaming. The light fades and Infernape stands across from Machoke. "Infernape," he says.

Machoke turns around and readies to fight. "Infernape, you evolved!" Dawn yells excitedly.

He looks at Dawn and smiles. "Fern."  
"Alright, let's finish this. Use Mach Punch."  
Infernape turns around and runs forward faster than before. Machoke grabs Infernape's fist with both hands. He grunts as the Fire/Fighting type grows stronger. Infernape's flame grows and burns brighter. Barry smiles. "His ability is kicking in!"

"Blaze," I say.

Dawn notices. "Use Fire Punch!"

Infernape ignites his other hand and punches Machoke back. "Use it multiple times!"

Maylene grits her teeth as Infernape rapidly punches Machoke back with his powered up attack. Infernape jumps back and watches. Machoke falls to the ground, out of stamina. "The winner of the round is Dawn and Infernape!"  
Dawn and Infernape high five. "Great job Infernape!"  
"Fernape!"  
Maylene returns Machoke and nods to Lucario. He gets up and walks to the battlefield. Infernape turns around and readies to fight. Maylene glares at Dawn. "I won't let Infernape get off even one attack!"  
Lucario and Maylene sync up. Maylene crosses her arms, putting her left in front. A gem on her bracelet glows. "Let's go, Lucario!"  
Lucario copies Maylene's movement. He starts glowing. Maylene sways right, then left. She reaches her arms out, crossing them at the wrists. They bring their arms to their sides. They punch with their right hand, then left, alternating two more times while increasing in speed. On the fifth, they put out both fists. Maylene and Lucario glow red. They bring their right arms back, then thrust their palm forward. "Our strengths are one! Go Lucario, All-Out Pummeling!"

Lucario thrusts his arms forward several times, sending a blast forward every time. Each one hits Infernape, sending him back further and further. Lucario finishes by running forward and punching him in the gut. Infernape flies back towards the wall and crashes into it. He hits the ground, knocked out. Maylene and Lucario get ready for Dawn's last pokémon. Dawn returns Infernape. "You did really well. I'm proud of you."

She puts the ball away, then starts walking towards Maylene. She passes Lucario, then grabs Maylene by the shirt. She glares at her. "What the fuck was that?!"  
Maylene starts shaking. "I-It was a Z-Move. I trained in Alola with Kahuna Hala. He entrusted me with a Z-Ring."

She shows her the object on her wrist. "He also gave me Fightinium Z."  
"Pull another trick like that and you won't like what happens next."  
Dawn lets go of Maylene and walks back. I smile. "That's my Dawn."  
Dawn throws a pokéball. Lopunny appears in front of her. "Using a Normal type against a Lucario? Are you insane?" Maylene asks.

"I might be. Attract."

Maylene gasps. Lopunny kisses her hand and blows a kiss to Lucario. Hearts fly from Lopunny towards Lucario. One touches Lucario. He smiles at Lopunny and I see hearts in his eyes. Eve giggles. " _Imagine Riolu looking like that._ "  
Riolu glares at Eve. " _I heard that._ "

" _I know._ "  
I sigh. "Lucario, snap out of it. Aura Sphere!"  
Lucario ignores the order. "Hi Jump Kick!"

Lopunny leaps into the air and flies at Lucario foot first. She collides with him. "It's super effective!" Roark shouts.

Lucario is lying on the ground, knocked out. "She dropped his guard with Attract and risked using Hi Jump Kick."  
"Amazing," Maylene says."  
She returns Lucario and walks to Dawn. "Congrats, Dawn. You've earned this."  
She hands Dawn her badge. "This is the Cobble Badge."

Dawn smiles at her. "Thank you for the battle."  
I stand up and start walking to the battlefield. Dawn and I meet on the stairs. We embrace. "Good luck," she says.

"I don't need luck."

"Watch out for the Z-Move."  
"I will. I can handle it."  
Eve and Riolu stand on either side of me. Eve looks up at me. Maylene starts laughing nervously. "I have to head to the Pokémon Center. I don't have any healing items left."  
I chuckle. "Go ahead. I'll wait."

" _So who's going first?_ " Eve asks.

" _I want to,_ " Riolu says.

" _Not yet. I have high hopes for you later._ "

He groans. " _You have a very important role in my plan._ "  
He nods. " _Okay._ "

" _So, me?_ "

" _No. If Prinplup fails, then you._ "  
She nods, then nuzzles my leg. I sit down and pet the both of them. I grab a case out of my bag. I let out Prinplup. I open my Poffin Case and grab three different kinds. "I made your favorites."  
Eve smiles and grabs hers. I give Prinplup's to her and Riolu's to him. Eve eats hers happily. " _This is delicious!_ "  
" _You make the best poffins._ "  
" _That's nothing. I'm sure a bunch of people make better ones._ "

Eve shakes her head. " _Yours are the best because you make sure they're the ones that we like._ "

Maylene runs in and to her spot across from me. The referee walks up. "Who are you, challenger?"

I cross my arms in front of my face and put them at my sides, flaring up my Aura. Lucario stares at me. "My name is Chris. I'm from Twinleaf Town. I challenge you, Maylene."  
She nods. "We accept your challenge."  
"The battle between Maylene and Chris will now begin! Send out your first pokémon!"  
I nod to Prinplup. She walks out and stares Maylene down. "I can feel both of your strengths," Maylene says.

"Lucario."  
Lucario steps in front of her. "Not yet, Lucario."  
He stares at me. Maylene shakes him. "Get back, Lucario."  
He doesn't respond. "I stopped my Aura, right?"

She nods. Riley stands up. "Aura users can see another's Aura if they choose to."

"Lucario, return!"  
She points the pokéball at him. He jumps to the side. He just keeps staring at me. "Lucar!"

He points at me and puts up his fists. Eve gasps and looks at me. " _He said he wants to fight you!_ "  
I step forward. "You want to fight a trainer in hand-to-hand combat?"  
Lucario nods. "Cario."  
I tilt my head. "How about after Barry's gym battle, I show you the power of my Aura?"  
Lucario smiles and backs down. "Lucario."  
He goes to Maylene's side. "A pokémon wanting to fight a trainer? I've never heard of that." I hear Barry mutter.

I walk back to my spot and nod to Maylene. "Send her out."

She nods and throws Meditite's pokéball. She appears and readies to fight. "Prinplup, let's go! Use Bubblebeam!"  
She leaps up and fires a stream of bubbles that explode on Meditite. "Use Confusion!"  
Meditite's eyes glow and Prinplup grunts, holding her head. "Use Metal Claw."

Prinplup starts running forward. "Use Drain Punch!"

Meditite runs forward. Their attacks collide, causing them both to slide away from each other. "You okay, Prinplup?"  
She nods. "Okay. Use Whirlpool."

Prinplup jumps up and creates a vortex of water. She throws it at Meditite, who is unable to dodge. Meditite struggles to get free. "Swim through the vortex and finish her with Metal Claw!"  
She runs forward and enters the whirlpool. I see Meditite fly up and out followed by Prinplup, whose wing is glowing silver. The vortex of water dissipates and Meditite hits the ground, knocked out. Prinplup lands by me. "Great job, Prinplup!"  
Maylene returns Meditite. She sends out Machoke. "Focus Energy, then use Karate Chop!"

"Don't let him get near you! Bubblebeam!"  
Prinplup fires a constant stream of bubbles at Machoke, who runs through the bubbles. He chops her aside, causing massive damage. Prinplup gets up slowly and glares at him. Prinplup glows cyan. "Torrent. Okay, use Bubblebeam for cover, then use Metal Claw."  
She fires bubbles at Machoke and dashes at him. "Strength!"

They both clash for power. They're evenly matched. Suddenly, both of them glow white. Both Maylene and I gasp. "A double evolution?!"

Machoke grows two more arms on his back and grows taller. Prinplup grows a bit and her beak forms a trident. Her wings become more jagged. They stop glowing. "Machamp!"  
"Empol!"  
Maylene grins. I smirk. "Aqua Jet!"  
"Dynamic Punch!"

Empoleon jets through the air before aiming directly at Machamp. Machamp punches Empoleon as they collide. They both slide back several yards. Empoleon and Machamp stare at each other before Empoleon flinches and falls over. I sigh and return her to her pokéball. "You did great, Empoleon."

Eve walks to the battlefield. Maylene takes a deep breath. I do too. "You ready Eve?"  
She looks back at me and smiles. " _Ready as I'll ever be._ "

"Good. Quick Attack."

Eve dashes at Machamp. "Karate Chop!"  
Eve hits Machamp in the stomach and he chops her down. Eve gets up without a scratch. Maylene gasps. "What?"

"Fairy type. Fighting isn't very effective."  
"In that case, Strength!"  
"Moonblast! Finish him."  
Machamp runs forward, but Eve jumps up and creates a pink orb in front of her. "Syl… ve…"  
She fires it. "On!"  
Machamp grabs it, trying to knock it away. He grunts under the pressure. "Dazzling Gleam!"  
Eve runs forward and glows brightly. Machamp grunts and the Moonblast consumes him. He slides up to Maylene, unconscious. She returns him. Lucario steps in front of her and smiles at me. "Eve, come back."  
She looks at me. " _What?!_ "  
"Steel is super effective against you."  
She nods and runs back to me. "Now's the time, Riolu."  
He nods and runs out to face his evolution. The two stare each other down. "What's he doing?" Barry asks.

"I don't know, but I'm sure he has a plan," Dawn answers.

Maylene looks at us. "Okay, Lucario. Use Aura Sphere. Finish Riolu in one hit."

Lucario brings his arms to his side. "Aura Sphere, Riolu."  
He nods and brings his arms to his side. They both form their Aura into a ball and throw it forward. They both collide in mid-air. They cancel each other out and explode. Maylene is watching in awe. "Riolu is very powerful. He probably has the most potential out of all of my pokémon."

"Force Palm, Lucario."  
"Force Palm, Riolu."  
They both dash forward and clap their hands together. A shockwave blasts through the gym. Dirt blasts into the air around them. "Metal Claw," Maylene commands.

"Dodge it and use Aura Sphere!"

Riolu jumps through the dust. Lucario slashes his spikes below Riolu. Riolu creates an Aura Sphere in one hand and combines it with Force Palm. He forces it into Lucario's face. Lucario flies back, but lands on his feet, sliding towards Maylene. He is all scratched up. Riolu puts his fists up, flaring up his Aura. Lucario does the same. His is more intense due to the damage he took. Riley smiles. "Lucario's Aura gets stronger the more damaged he is."  
The pair run forward and grab each other's fists. Lucario gains the upper hand and is about to connect with Riolu's face. "Endure!"  
Riolu braces himself as Lucario punches him. Riolu slides back towards me, falling over. He gets up, panting. He doesn't have much fight left in him. "You okay?" I ask Riolu.

" _Yeah. I'm ready._ "

"Good. Run towards Lucario and get ready to attack!"

Riolu runs forward and faces Lucario. "Force Palm!" Maylene yells.

"Dodge it and use Reversal!"  
Lucario thrusts his arm forward. Riolu jumps to the left, avoiding the blast of Aura. Lucario gasps as Riolu's Aura flares up more than it ever has. Riolu punches Lucario in the chest and he flies back towards Maylene. She braces for impact, but Lucario flips back and lands on his feet. Riolu and Lucario both pant as they stare each other down. The referee watches closely. Riolu drops to his knees, but Lucario falls over, fainting.

Riolu smiles and jumps up in victory. " _We did it!_ "

I run forward and catch Riolu. He hugs me as Lucario gets up, smiling. "The winner of the match is Chris from Twinleaf Town!"  
Maylene and Lucario walk forward. Maylene holds out the Cobble Badge. "Take it. You've earned it."

I take the Cobble Badge. "Thank you."  
I look at Lucario. "Do you still want that battle?"  
Lucario shakes his head and looks at Riolu. "Cario."

" _He said I was enough of a challenge, Chris,_ " Riolu translates.

" _Keep training him well, Chris,_ " an unfamiliar voice says.

Lucario is smiling. "I will, Lucario. I promise that."  
Maylene is looking around. "What's going on?!"  
Lucario, Eve, Riolu, and I laugh. Maylene looks around. "What are you laughing for? Tell me!"  
"It's nothing you need to worry about."

She groans. "I guess I have to thank you, though."  
"Why?"  
"You got Machoke to evolve. I've been trying to do that for a long time. Empoleon put up a great fight, too."  
"You're welcome. You might want to heal your pokémon before you battle Barry."  
She nods and runs to the Pokémon Center.

An hour later, we walk out of the gym. Mom lets out Pidgeot. She turns to me. "Chris. You've really grown up since I've last seen you. Both you and Dawn have. Please get back the Lake Trio."

I nod. "I promise."

"And when you meet Cyrus again, be sure to knock some sense into him for me!"

I nod. "I promise."  
She hugs me. "Goodbye. Save the world. I love you."  
"I love you, too."

Dawn walks to her and hugs her. "Bye, future Mother-in-Law."  
"Goodbye Dawn. I'll miss you, too."  
Barry walks forward. "Can you tell my Mom I said hi?"  
"Sure thing. I won't mention anything about Team Galactic, too."  
I smile. "Thanks."  
Mom looks at Roark and smiles. She walks over and kisses him. Riley, Barry, Dawn, and I gasp. Roark is completely shocked. Mom lets go of him. "Call me later, okay?"  
Roark is smiling like an idiot. "Okay…"  
Mom waves at us and climbs onto Pidgeot. Roark readjusts his glasses. "Take us home, old friend."  
She nods and starts flying away. Dawn, Roark, Riley, and Barry wave as she leaves. I look at Roark. "I guess I'll have to start calling you Dad, won't I?"

Roark laughs nervously. "No! You don't have to!"  
"Alright, Dad," I say, jokingly.

"I said not to!" Roark says, blushing.

Dawn intertwines our arms. Eve wraps her feelers around my other arm. I sigh. " _Yare yare daze_. Two clingy women in my life."  
Dawn giggles and kisses my cheek. " _You bet,_ " Eve says.

Riolu climbs onto my shoulder and sits behind my neck. "Let's go to the Pokémon Center and go to sleep," I say.

"I second that," Barry says.

We walk to the building as the sun sets on the second day without the Legendary Pokémon.

[Cyrus' POV; Team Galactic HQ]

I walk through the halls towards the laboratory. I open the door and lock it behind me. Charon turns to me. "Ah, Cyrus. I see that you came to see the progress of my studies on the Lake Trio."  
I glare at him. "Is something wrong?"  
"I never said you could cause physical harm to them!"  
"I'm aware of that, but who is in charge of the laboratories?!"  
"If I recall, I'm the leader of Team Galactic."  
"You know that both of us created this organization to benefit ourselves."

"I never said you could bring harm to pokémon, especially the Legendary Pokémon."  
"The Red Chain will harm both Dialga and Palkia when they appear."  
"That cannot be avoided. _This_ can!"

Charon turns his back to me. "I don't need to listen to you, Cyrus. You know that. I paid for this lab to be built! How much did you contribute? Absolutely nothing!"  
"I had no money, Charon! My parents cast me out. I had no job and no family!"  
The door opens. Both of us turn and see Saturn standing at the door. He shudders. "Cyrus! How unexpected. I came to check on the progress of the Red Chain!"

"You heard nothing."  
He nods. "Understood!"

He closes the door. "Anyway, I have a proposition, Cyrus."

"What is it?"  
"Hand over the leadership position to me. Then, maybe, I will stop my experiments you seem to hate so much."

"Why would I do that?"  
"Why do you care so much for them?!"  
"Pokémon shouldn't have to suffer! They are harmless creatures that are friends to humans! Do you know how hard it was to bring myself to hurt the boy, Chris!"

"Since when did our emotionless leader become so soft? Maybe it is time for me to take control. You seem unfit to command."  
He opens a drawer and pulls out a remote. He presses a button. I hear my jacket click. I look around it. "What did you do?"  
"You can't take it off now."  
He turns a dial on the remote and presses a button. I feel a shock. I scream in pain and drops to my hands and knees. He stops the shocks. I pant. I feel sweat drip from everywhere. "Beg for mercy, Cyrus."  
"You hurt them."

I feel another shock. I feel my muscles twitching. I growl. "I can't let a monster like you live."  
I surround myself in my Aura and attempt to touch him. He steps backwards and holds the button down. I scream and fall flat on the floor. He doesn't relent. "I'll give you one more chance! Let the experiments continue or die! Don't even think about talking about this to anyone. I've planted a bug in your jacket. I can hear everything you say."

I grit my teeth. "Fine. You win."

I feel the shocks stop. I get up and put my hand on one of the Lake Trio's tanks. I look up and see Mesprit looking at me. " _Cyrus…_ "  
I look down and grit my teeth. " _Thank you,_ " she says.

[Saturn's POV]

I take my ear away from the door and walk down the hall. I go to my quarters and sit at my desk. I think about what they said. "Screw the new universe," I say to myself.

A few hours later, I watch Charon from the window of his quarters. He finally goes to sleep. I smile and walk down to Cyrus' office. I open the door and wait for it to close behind me. Cyrus is sitting with his back to me. "Why are you here Saturn?"

"Charon is asleep."

"What?"

"I eavesdropped on your conversation after I closed the door."  
"You…"  
"I want to help you free them."  
Cyrus spins towards me in his chair. "To do so would be mutiny."  
"I'm fine with that."

Cyrus grins. "Meet me here tomorrow when Charon goes to sleep. This will take a lot of planning."  
"How long do you think it could take?"  
"Charon sometimes stays up several days at a time and he has security camera footage of the lab in his room. He probably has his remote to electrocute me in his room, too. It could take months before our plan is ready. Talk to Grunts that you trust will follow your every command. Only take the ones who think what Charon is doing is wrong."  
"I will start soon."

"Good."

I walk to the door and stop before I open it. "I bet Mars would join our cause if you didn't kill her."  
"What are you talking about?"

"She never really wanted to capture the Lege-"

"No. The four of them are still alive."  
I gasp and look at Cyrus. He is smiling. His Crobat is smiling as he pets it. I smile. "It's nice to meet you for real."  
"Same to you, Saturn."

I walk out of his office.


	29. Chapter 29

Chapter 29: Leaving Veilstone City

[Chris' POV]

I face Riley. He runs forward and surrounds his fist with his Aura. He punches, but I hold my hand out, creating a barrier. He hits the barrier. Cracks start to form. I see a vision of his movements. I step to the side as soon as he breaks through. I karate chop at him. He rolls forward and flings an Aura Sphere at me. I create my own in two hands and hold it out. His collides with mine. I grunt under the pressure. I feel my feet sliding into the dirt. Riley keeps his guard up. I growl and step forward. I lunge forward and push. Riley creates a barrier, blocking the combined Aura Spheres. He smiles. "That's enough for now."  
I just realize. I feel my forehead. It's covered in sweat. "You're getting a hang of it, Chris."  
I catch my breath. "Still not enough to beat Cyrus."  
"Enough?"  
"Don't we gain Aura when we train?"

Riley chuckles, shaking his head. "Think of it like training your muscles. You don't gain any Aura through training, you just make the same amount stronger. The only difference between Aura users are the amount of Aura they have. Take you and me for example. You have more Aura than me, but I've been training my Aura throughout my life so far."  
"How old are you?"  
"Seventeen."

"Really?!"  
He nods. "Yeah. My Aura revealed itself when I was five. I've trained since then."

I sigh. "Of course mine reveals itself recently. If not, I may have stood a chance against Cyrus."  
"You also would've been training since you were young. I doubt you would have fallen in love with Dawn if it had revealed itself when you were little."  
I get up. "So, should we continue on our way?"  
Barry stands up. "Finally!"

Dawn giggles. "Barry. As impatient as always."

Barry stretches. "By the way, Chris. I want to battle you again soon."  
"You sure you'll win against Eve, Riolu, and Empoleon?"

"Probably not, but Rotom and Luxio for sure."  
I withdrew Luxio in place of Uxie. "I've been training them, too. Rotom won't go down as easily."  
Rotom darts next to me. He nods and uses Charge. Barry smiles. "I'm glad you're fine Rotom."  
I look at Luxio, who's sitting next to me. "It's been a while. I've missed you."  
Luxio nods. "Lux."  
I smile. Riolu rides on his back, sleeping. Eve is lying in the grass, waiting patiently to get moving. Roark looks at his watch. "We might want to get going. It's only a little while until sun down."  
Riley steps forward. "Let's go."

We follow Riley down the road towards Pastoria City. It'll take about two weeks to get there from Veilstone City.  
[Cyrus' POV]

I sit in Charon's lab. He's out collecting data about Dialga and Palkia. I look at Mesprit, who looks back at me. " _I'm sorry,_ " I say.

" _It's okay. I never really thought you weren't evil._ "  
" _I hurt Chris. That's his name right?_ "

She nods. " _He's a gifted young man._ "

I sigh. " _I'm afraid of Charon._ "

" _Me, too._ "

We are silent for a couple minutes. I hear the door open. I see Saturn walk in. "Oh. Am I intruding?"

I shake my head. "Not at all."  
He gives me a questioning look. I nod to Mesprit. " _Can you establish a psychic link between the two of us?_ "

" _Maybe._ "

I shake my head and zip my lips to Saturn. " _I've given you both a psychic link,_ " Mesprit says.  
" _What is it Saturn?_ "

" _I've found a few grunts willing to help. A few close friends of mine._ "

" _Good. We'll need all the help we can get. I want to free them when Chris and his friends attack the headquarters._ "

Saturn smiles. " _A distraction. Clever._ "

My eyes drift to the security cameras. " _We better leave. He's back early._ "

" _By the way,_ " Mesprit says. " _I can only establish a psychic link between you when you are near me._ "

" _That's fine. When Charon heads out for research, we'll meet in here to discuss our plan to get you out of here._ "

" _Why can't you just release me right now?_ "

" _Charon will literally kill me once he gets the alert. We have to wait until another alert is going on so he won't know that you three are gone. I saw the remote on his person when he left._ "

" _Does it have a range?_ "

" _Knowing him, no._ "

" _Cyrus, let's go._ "

I get up. " _I'll be seeing you, Mesprit._ "  
" _Stay safe._ "

" _Hang in there for a few more months. Surely Charon will speed up his progress._ "

Saturn and I leave the lab and take our separate ways.

[Chris' POV; One Week Later]

Dawn and I get into the sleeping bag and lie down. Dawn wraps her arms around me and kisses me softly. I pull a blanket over us and stare into her eyes. We both smile. Dawn lies on her back and sighs. "A lot has been on my mind."

"What is it?"

"If Cyrus has taken the Lake Trio, why hasn't he already destroyed the world?"

"I don't think they are what he truly needs. Think about it. He wants a universe that he's the god of. He needs the Pokémon of Time and the Pokémon of Space."

"Dialga and Palkia…"  
I nod. "If what we've been told is correct, he's after them. Maybe he needs the Lake Trio to draw them forth."  
"I don't know."

She closes her eyes. "I miss Mesprit."  
"I miss Uxie."  
"Chris, hold me."  
I wrap my left arm around her and pull her closer. She snuggles up against me and closes her eyes. "Good night."  
"Good night."


	30. Chapter 30

Chapter 30: The Challengers

The next morning, we've eaten and are on the move. Dawn is slowly trudging behind. Riley is as well. I look at them. "You two okay?"  
Riley groans. "This is what I get for being an insomniac and a light sleeper."  
Dawn sighs. "Chris, you know I'm not a morning person."  
I run into Barry. I jump back. "Why'd you stop?!"  
I see a few other teenagers. "What are you doing in our way?"  
I walk to the front. I point to myself. "Look, if you're complaining, you better take it up with the complaint department."  
"If you say so."

The young man is wearing black clothes and a hat that's on crooked. He cracks his knuckles. He's probably a year or two older than me. He throws a punch. I easily dodge it. Our group backs away so I can have room. "You brat," he growls.

"What's wrong? You mad someone can actually dodge and fight?"

I back up and stretch my arms out. "So, you want to fight me or my pokémon, cause one of them's gonna hurt a lot less."  
"You're just a runt."  
I smirk. "Oh, really?"

I surround myself in a miniscule amount of Aura and punch him in the stomach. He grunts in pain and grab his gut. He steps backwards. "I'll get you for that!"

"You'd actually have a chance to win at a pokémon battle, trust me."  
I see another guy about as old as me. He walks toward the group and looks at Dawn. "You're pretty cute. You should ditch these guys and join us."  
Dawn looks away. "You perv."  
He grabs her arm. "You take that back!"

I growl. He turns to me. I flare my Aura around myself, making it visible to them. He stares at me. "What the hell?!"  
"By the way, that's my boyfriend."  
I walk towards him, giving him a sinister glare. I bring my right arm up and thrust it at him. He yells as my Aura pushes him several yards away. He hits a tree and faints. I turn back to the rest of them and hold my arm out. "Get out of our way or you'll wind up like your friend there."  
Their leader steps forward. "Look, let's settle this in a pokémon battle."  
"That deal's over."  
"A special pokémon battle. I'll give you a rare pokémon I found and never trained."

I growl. "No. I'd rather you just leave so I don't have to hurt you."  
Barry steps forward. "If he won't, I will."  
I turn to him and chuckle. "You can't even beat me when I don't use Darkrai."  
"That's why I want to battle him. You'll defeat him too easily, Chris."  
I walk away, stopping the flow of my Aura. "Fine. Go ahead."  
I walk to Dawn and smile. "Are you okay?"  
"I didn't need your help, Chris," she says smiling.

"You're exhausted."  
The rest of us sit under a few trees. Roark and Riley sit on either side of the two of us. Dawn snuggles up to me and falls asleep. I watch Barry's battle. The man sends out a Golbat. Barry sends out Staravia. "Leech Life, Golbat."  
"Wing Attack."  
Staravia rams into Golbat, dealing some damage. "Bite!"  
"Aerial Ace!"  
Staravia flies through the air and homes in on Golbat. She collides with him, knocking him out. The man gasps. "That easily…"  
"Send out your next pokémon."  
He returns Golbat and throws another pokéball. A Growlithe appears. "Flamethrower."

"Staravia, dodge and use Aerial Ace!"  
Staravia flies under the flames and nears Growlithe. "Bite her wing!"  
Growlithe chomps down onto Staravia's wing. Barry gasps. "Use Brave Bird!"

Staravia glows blue and knocks Growlithe back. As Staravia is hit with recoil, she starts glowing white. She evolves and lands in front of Barry. "Staraptor!"  
Barry smiles. "Alright, Staraptor. Use Wing Attack!"  
Staraptor flies forward and repeatedly hits Growlithe. Growlithe flies backwards and hits the ground by his trainer. Barry puts his arm out and Staraptor lands on it. The man returns Growlithe. "You brat!"  
He sends out a Chimecho. "Extrasensory."  
"Endure the attack and use Aerial Ace!"  
Staraptor starts flinching as she takes off. Suddenly, she hits Chimecho, sending it flying towards the trainer. He catches Chimecho and lets it float back to where it was. "Finish it with Brave Bird."

She flies up and glows blue, then flies directly at Chimecho, turning red. They make contact. Chimecho falls to the ground and Staraptor lands on the ground, dealing with the recoil damage. The trainer sighs and returns Chimecho. "I didn't think you'd be so strong."

He walks toward Barry and hands him a pokéball. "I caught him in the Hoenn region. Take good care of him."  
Barry gladly takes the ball and thanks him. Their group starts walking down the path, some saying bye. Barry tosses the ball. A Combusken stands in front of him. "Hi there. I'm gonna be your new trainer."

Combusken smiles. "Busken!"

Barry laughs and high fives Combusken. We continue walking towards Pastoria City. Kirlia is walking next to Dawn, looking around.

[Saturn's POV]

I duck into the bush. I sigh. "That was close."  
I hear buzzing on my headset. "Saturn," Charon says. "What is the news on those brats?"

"They're en route to Pastoria City. One of their pokémon, a Kirlia, might have seen me."  
"Are they attacking?"

"No."  
"Then, you're fine."  
I peek out of the bushes again. The Kirlia is looking right at me. I yell and crawl backwards. She smiles. "What is it?!" I hear in my headset.

The Kirlia's eyes glow blue and lift my headset off. She holds it. "Kirlia!" she yells into it.

Her eyes glow blue again and it snaps in half. I grab my gun and hold my hand out. "Don't make me."  
She smiles at me. " _I know what your plan is Saturn. I just read your mind. I won't tell the rest of them. When you put your plan in action, call this number._ "

She picks up a stick and writes in the ground. I take a picture and nod to her. "You can't tell anyone."  
She nods. " _Get going._ "  
I stand up and run away. I look back. Dawn and Chris are walking around. "Kirlia!" Chris calls.

"Where'd you go?!" Dawn calls.

Chris looks directly at me. I stare at him. I smile and put my arm up. I mouth the word 'Saturn' and run into the woods.

[Chris' POV]

The man disappears from sight. He mouthed a word. "Saturn? What does that mean?"  
Dawn turns to me. "What are you talking about?"  
"I saw a man in the woods. He mouthed 'Saturn.' He was wearing a Team Galactic Uniform."

"Team Galactic?!"

I nod. Kirlia comes running out of the bushes and jumps into Dawn's arms. "There you are. Let's get going."  
I nod. Dawn and I start running to catch up with the others.


	31. Chapter 31

Chapter 31: Worries and Surprises

Barry runs into the center of the city and takes a deep breath. "Finally."

Roark chuckles. "Pastoria City."

I look at Dawn and smile. "We can rest for a while."  
She smiles. "That's great. I don't want to travel for another month!"

Riley sighs. "If only we could rest for that long. After you get the badge, we have to travel all the way across the region again."  
I groan. "Where to?"  
"West of Jubilife City. We need to go to Canalave City."  
Roark groans. "You'll have to fight my dad there. He specializes in Steel types. Nevermind that, though. You need to focus on beating Water types."

"Barry and I aren't going to have a problem. I have Luxio and Eve. Riolu and I have been training, too."  
Dawn groans. "Looks like I won't be using Infernape. I have Pachirisu and Kirlia. Buizel won't do much good against Water types, though."  
"Damn. I was hoping to test out Combusken's power," Barry states.  
"Let's just get some rest for right now," Riley says. "We need the rest anyway."  
I turn to Dawn. "You up for that?"

"Yeah. It's getting dark anyway."  
We head to the Pokémon Center.

The next day, I sit on a bench, waiting for Barry to finish talking. He's rambling on and on about why the two of us should train together. He finally shuts up. "Look, I'm stronger than you Barry. We settled this."  
"That was a long time ago."

"Long time? That was nearly a month ago!"  
"Don't start a fight, you guys," Dawn intervenes.

Barry sighs. "Then I guess we will never truly know who is the stronger of the two of us."

I glare at him. "Are you trying to provoke me?"  
Barry grins. "I thought it would get you off of your ass and fight."  
Eve giggles. " _He does have a point._ "

Riolu stirs. " _What's going on?_ "  
" _Barry wants to challenge Chris._ "

Riolu jumps up. " _I want to battle him._ "  
I turn to the two of them and sigh. "Alright, but only one battle, Barry."

"I hope you don't disappoint me."  
"Trust me, I won't. I'm using Darkrai, too."  
"No fair."  
"You want to get stronger? Then fight tougher opponents."

"But a Legendary Pokémon?"  
I stand up and grab Rotom's pokéball. "Send out your first pokémon."  
He nods and throws a pokéball. Grotle appears. I send out Rotom. Barry wastes no time. "Energy Ball."  
"Dodge and use Ominous Wind."  
Rotom flies around the green orb and spins around creating a ghostly wind. Grotle takes a bit of damage. "Bite!"

"Get out of the way and use Shock Wave."  
Rotom flies upward and sends a jolt of electricity at Grotle. Grotle grunts under the pressure. "Razor Leaf!"  
Several leaves hit Rotom repeatedly. He stays in the air. "What?! That would've taken out your Rotom last time!"  
"This isn't last time. I've trained with all of my pokémon. Finish him with Shock Wave!"  
Grotle falls over as electricity sparks through him. Barry returns him and lets out Combusken. "A Fighting type against a Ghost type?"

"Blaze Kick!"  
I smirk. "Thunder Wave."  
"Jump and hit him!"  
I gasp. Combusken leaps into the air and collides with Rotom. Rotom is on the ground, knocked out. I smile and return Rotom. "Thank you for battling. You did great."  
I nod to Eve. " _Ready?_ "

She nods and walks to the battlefield. "Blaze Kick again!"

"Protect."  
Eve surrounds herself with a barrier. Combusken makes contact, then jumps back, preparing for an attack. "Dazzling Gleam."  
Eve walks forward and starts glowing. "Cover your eyes."  
He covers his eye with one hand. The light fades. Barry gasps. Eve is right in front of Combusken. "Draining Kiss."  
Eve kisses Combusken on the cheek. He drops to his knee, being sapped of his energy. "Ember!"  
"Protect!"  
Eve blocks the attack. I smile. "Fairy Wind."

Eve whirls her feelers around, creating a gust of wind.

Combusken grunts, then falls over. Eve turns to me and smiles. " _We did it!_ "  
I nod. " _You did great._ "  
Barry returns Combusken and growls at me. He throws a pokéball. A Rapidash appears. "What?! Ponyta evolved?!"

"We trained during the night. Ponyta evolved and became one of my most powerful pokémon."  
Eve looks back at me and smiles. " _Let's do this._ "

I recollect myself. "Swift!"  
Eve whips her feelers around, creating stars. "Dodge them."  
Rapidash starts running. "It's no use Barry. Swift never misses."

The stars curve and fly after Rapidash. "Kick them."

Rapidash kicks the stars, destroying them. "Agility, then Flamethrower!"  
"Protect!"

Rapidash dashes around, then blasts fire at Eve. She raises her feelers up, but nothing happens this time. Eve gasps and is scorched by the flames. She lies on the ground, burned. She gets up and pants. " _Chris!_ "  
I smile. "Refresh, then use Misty Terrain."  
Eve heals her burn, then sends mist in every direction. Barry looks around. "What the hell?"  
"Draining Kiss."

Eve runs forward and kisses Rapidash, restoring some of her health. I smile. Barry takes a deep breath. "Stomp."  
She runs forward and brings up her hoove. "Roll!"  
Eve rolls out of the way. "Iron Tail!"  
Eve flips in the air and hits Rapidash with her tail. Rapidash falls to the ground, fainted. He gasps and returns her. "No… It's not true."  
Eve sits down, waiting for Barry's next pokémon. Barry looks down. "I forfeit. I can't beat you with Staraptor."  
I frown and walk forward. I put my hand on his shoulder. "Train and you'll win. Trust me."  
He nods. "I will."  
He walks back to the Pokémon Center. Dawn gets up and walks to me. "That was merciless, sending Eve out to fight."

Eve walks to my side. Riolu sighs. " _I didn't get to fight._ "

" _If I had known he would forfeit, I would've planned to have you fight._ "  
"Chris?"

"I was going easy on him, Dawn."  
"What? Using Misty Terrain, then Draining Kiss? That's going easy on him?"

"Okay, but were you expecting a Rapidash?"

"Okay, fine."  
"I don't like fighting like this."  
"Neither do I."  
Dawn goes to kiss me. "Oh, am I interrupting something?" I hear a man say.

Dawn stops immediately and jumps around, red as a Razz Berry. I chuckle. "Not really."  
The man is wearing no shirt, a mask, and blue, orange, and grey pants. "I'm Crasher Wake, the Gym Leader of Pastoria City."

I smile and put out my hand. "Nice to meet you. I'm Chris and this is Dawn."  
"Hello," Dawn says, stilling blushing.

He shakes my hand. "Nice to meet you."  
"Um, you know it's pretty cold outside, right?"  
He nods. "Of course. I'm just used to this weather."  
Dawn and I are both wearing heavy jackets, hats, and scarves. I'm wearing gloves and Dawn is wearing mittens. Compared to us, he's practically naked. "Well, we're looking to challenge you sometime today or tomorrow."

"Oh really? I'm looking forward to it. Tell me, what is that pokémon you used in that battle?"

"Oh. Eve is my Sylveon. She's a Fairy type."  
"Fairy. That's news to me. Did she evolve?"

I nod. "I met her as an Eevee."  
"A new Eeveelution. Incredible."  
"Well, new to Sinnoh, not to Kalos."  
"I see. Well, it was nice to meet you both. I'll be waiting for you at the gym."

He walks away. Dawn hugs me and smiles. "Is he sure he isn't cold?"  
"I don't know."  
"Let's get some hot cocoa with Barry."

I nod. "I agree."  
Dawn, Barry and I sit at a table, holding cocoa. Barry sighs. "To think I chose the starter stronger than yours and I still lose to you every time."  
"You could catch more pokémon."  
"Yeah. When I get Azelf back, you're gonna be sorry."

Dawn frowns. "Don't remind me about them right now."  
Eve and Riolu eat the pokémon food we bought them. " _Translate me. You know you could just sneak in._ "

"Eve says we could always sneak in."

Barry turns to her. "And how has that worked out in the past?"  
She shrugs. " _I don't know. I haven't been here as long as most._ "  
"She hasn't been here for Valley Windworks."  
"Oh, that's right. We haven't had much luck with stealth."  
I take a sip of my drink and sigh. "I can only think of the torture that the three of them are going through."  
[Team Galactic HQ; Uxie's POV]

I look at my sisters through the glass of my container. Charon is sleeping. "I'm bored," I say.

"Me too," Azelf says.  
"Me three."  
[Chris' POV]

I sigh. "Let's just focus on the matter at hand, though. How are you going to beat him, Dawn?"

She shrugs. "I'll think of something."

Barry sighs. "That's not how things work."

"I almost always have a plan when I battle."

"I'm not you, though."

I sigh. "I know. That's what worries me."  
Barry tightens his fist. "I need to get stronger. I want to defeat Crasher Wake!"  
I take a deep breath. "I'm challenging him tomorrow."  
Dawn and Barry turn to me. "What?!"

"You're not waiting for us?" Barry asks.  
"I'm stronger than the two of you. Either way, he said he was looking forward to our battle. You can watch and learn his strategies. I think it'll be a tough battle. Rotom and Luxio may not be enough. Even Eve."  
Eve looks up at me. " _What?_ "

"I think Crasher Wake is more powerful than he seems. I could be wrong, but I've got a hunch."  
Barry looks down. "I don't know."  
I smile at him. "Don't worry. You can get stronger."  
"Alright, but what about our much bigger problem?"

I look at Dawn and give her a questioning look. She nods. I look back at Barry. "I don't think they're all bad."  
Barry stares at me dumbfounded. "What the hell are you talking about?! They ki-"  
I shush him. He realizes where we are. "They killed people and stole our pokémon," he whispers.

"We saw a Team Galactic elite. He was wearing a similar uniform to Mars'. We saw each other. I was ready to fight, but he smiled and waved. He mouthed the word Saturn."  
Barry's jaw drops. "What? You know what? For not telling me that, I'm fining you."  
"You haven't done that in a while."  
"I've been told not to, but now I don't care. I'm pissed that you didn't tell me about this."  
I finish my hot cocoa. "I'm going to get ready for the gym battle."  
Dawn stands up. "I'm going too."  
I smile. "Alright. You coming Barry?"

He shakes his head. "I need to think."  
"Okay. See you in a bit."

Dawn and I walk outside. Our pokémon start following us. I smile and look at the frost beneath my feet. "Winter's nearly here."  
"It'll be late spring when we get to Canalave City."

She groans. "We're walking all the way back across Sinnoh…"  
"I think this is why a lot of trainers give up on the Pokémon League."  
"I never wanted to challenge the Pokémon League. I just want to be a Pokémon Coordinator."  
"I don't know anymore, but I'm probably going to be an Aura Guardian."  
"I know. You care about pokémon and want to learn more about Aura."  
I walk towards the plaza and sit on a bench. Dawn joins me. She takes a deep breath. Her warm breath is visible due the chill in the air. I watch her in silence, smiling. Dawn looks at me and smiles as well. Eve jumps onto the bench and lies on my lap. She pushes her head under my hand. I smile and pet her. I sigh. "How do people want this world to end?"  
"I don't know. Does Cyrus only focus on the tiny negative things in the world and not the amazing things?"

I yawn. It's only midday. Eve closes her eyes and smiles. Dawn starts petting her. She smiles as she does. "What was the most unexpected thing in our journey?" Dawn asks.

"Eve."  
"Really?"

"Yeah. I never would've expected to catch an Eevee here."  
"Not even us?"  
"I always kinda knew that would happen."

She smiles. "I'm glad I'm not the only one."  
"What about for you?"  
"That Team Galactic elite. Him or Team Galactic in general."

"That was strange. I thought he would attack or at least threaten us, but he waved."

"He seemed… different than the rest."  
I lean back, touching my back to the bench. "I don't know. This is all so confusing now."  
"I agree."  
"Let's just hope for the best. It's not time to worry yet."


	32. Chapter 32

Chapter 32: Vs. Crasher Wake

I walk into the gym followed by Barry, Roark, Dawn, and Riley. I face Crasher Wake. "I challenge you to a gym battle!"  
He smiles. "I was waiting for you, Chris."

A referee walks to the side of the battlefield. "Let the battle begin! Send out your first pokémon!"  
I send out Luxio and Crasher Wake sends out Gyarados. I grin. "Charge, then Spark!"

"Use Bite!"

Luxio starts collecting electricity, then Gyarados bites at him. Luxio jumps left, but his leg gets caught in its mouth. "Use Shock Wave!"  
Luxio sends out a wave of lightning, dealing immense amounts of damage to Gyarados. Gyarados backs off, growling. Luxio nods to me. "Spark!"  
"Twister!"

Gyarados whirls its head around, creating a whirling gust of wind. The twister pulls Luxio in, dealing some damage. "Luxio! Get out of there!"

Luxio disappears from sight as he whirls around. Suddenly, a bright light shines through the debris. The tornado dies down and a Luxray stands in the center of the field. Dawn cheers me on along with Roark. Barry stands up. "You better not lose! If you do, I'll fine you big time!"  
"I guess I won't lose, then!"

I smile at Luxray. "Ready?"

He nods and smiles. "Use Thunderbolt!"  
Luxray fires a bolt of lightning at Gyarados, knocking him out of the air. Crasher Wake returns him. "Thank you for battling. You did great."  
"Luxray, come back."

He nods and runs to my side. I pet him, then he lies down. "Ready Riolu?"

" _Yeah!_ "

He runs out to the battlefield. Crasher Wake throws a pokéball. A Quagsire stands in front of Riolu. "Bring it on, Chris."

I grin. "Riolu, Force Palm!"  
He runs forward, surrounding his arm in Aura. "Dodge it and use Mud Shot!"

Quagsire jumps in the water surrounding the arena and swims around. Riolu looks around, guessing where he'll leap out from. He leaps out from behind Riolu and jumps over the battlefield, firing several Mud Shots at Riolu. Riolu looks around. Some mud is covering his eyes. "Riolu!"  
I look at Riley. He nods. "Listen Riolu. Use your Aura. Sense where he is."

I hear water splashing near me. Riolu turns that way, then looks behind him. Quagsire leaps from there, readying another Mud Shot. He is surprised to see Riolu following him. "Aura Sphere!"  
Riolu creates an azure orb and tosses it at him. "Water Pulse!"

"Jump into the air and use Force Palm!"

Riolu leaps into the air and jumps off of the Aura Sphere. It is thrown into the ground, creating an explosion of Aura. Riolu brings his arm back and charges up his Aura. I let my Aura flow around me. Riolu thrusts his arm forward, making contact with Quagsire. A shockwave rocks the building as a blast of Aura expels around the two of them. Two figures drop to the ground, shrouded in smoke. I feel a massive amount of Aura coming from Riolu. The smoke clears and I gasp. A Lucario is looking back at me. I smile. "Riolu, you did it! You evolved!"  
Lucario nods. " _It was the training we did together. I really got to know you. But now, I'm ready to fight._ "  
Quagsire stands up. I reach into my bag and grab Lucario's Mega Stone. "Lucario, catch!"  
I throw the stone to him. He grabs it and looks at it. He flinches when it glows. I look at my Key Stone. It's glowing. "Ready?"

He nods. " _I'm ready._ "

Eve and Luxray stand up and watch. I press on the Key Stone. The Lucarionite and my Key Stone glow, sending out four rays of purple light. They connect, combining our powers into one. "Lucario, Mega Evolve!"  
Dawn and Barry are leaning against the railing, watching. Lucario glows purple and starts changing. He grows a few more spikes on his wrists and ankles. His fur and ears grow in length. His tail becomes much bushier. The light fades and Lucario roars. The symbol on the Key Stone appears in front of him for a few seconds before disappearing. His Aura is flaring around him. Crasher Wake and Quagsire are watching in awe. Suddenly, Lucario growls and jumps at me. I roll out of the way, terrified. Dawn runs down to the battlefield. Riley leaps down along with his Lucario. Roark is recording the whole thing on Dawn's Pokédex. Lucario punches at me, expelling a massive amount of Aura. I cross my arms in front of me, blocking the blast with a barrier. I create an Aura Sphere and throw it at him. He punches through it and runs towards me. We both charge a Force Palm and attempt to hit each other. Our palms collide, sending us both flying back. I hit the wall. I scream in pain and fall to the ground. Lucario gets up shakily and glares at me. I push myself off of the ground and pant. I stand up and charge another Aura Sphere, one bigger than the last. I growl and step forward. I gasp in pain and fall down, my Aura Sphere dissipating. I try to pick myself up again, but can't. Dawn lifts me up. I hear Riley dealing with Mega Lucario. Dawn supports me as I create another Aura Sphere. I throw it at Lucario. He spots it at the last second, but can't counter. The orb explodes, sending him back to the ground. He gets up and pants, staring at me. He runs at the two of us. "Mud Shot!"  
Quagsire flies out of the water and shoots globs of mud at Lucario. He drops to the ground and reverts to normal. He's unconscious. I sigh in relief. Dawn holds me close. "Are you okay?"  
I nod. "Yeah. You can let go of me."

She reluctantly releases me. I start to lose my balance. "Grab me!"  
She quickly holds me up. "I think I broke something."  
Dawn hugs me. "Will you be okay?"

"Maybe. I'm finishing the battle though."  
Crasher Wake shakes his head. "I can't let you battle in that condition. If anything, you earned the badge."  
"No. I don't earn it until I prove my pokémon's strength, not my own."

"I don't know about you, but I can guess a lot of people rely on their pokémon to protect them. Some people more than others."

"But not me. I'm doing this to prove my pokémon's strength."

I return Lucario. "I'm staying."

He sighs. "Alright, but she's going to help you."

"I have no problem with that," Dawn replies. "The more I can be with him the better."

Riley walks to me. "We're going to the hospital after this. Got it?"  
I nod. "Fine."

He returns to his seat. Dawn walks with me to the battlefield. "Eve, get ready."

She smiles and walks in front of me. "Misty Terrain."  
Mist spreads around the area. "Water Pulse!"  
"Dodge it and use Moonblast."  
Eve jumps over the blast of water, already charging the pink orb. "Fire!"  
She blasts it forward. It hits Quagsire, sending him flying. He lands in the water, unconscious. Crasher Wake returns him. "You fought well."

Eve runs back to me. " _Let's finish this,_ " she says.

"That's the Eve I know."  
Crasher Wake throws his last pokéball. A Floatzel appears in front of him. "Aqua Jet!"

Floatzel dashes forward. "Use Protect!"

Eve puts her feelers up, creating a barrier. "Don't relent!"  
Floatzel keeps trying to bust through Eve's barrier. She grunts, trying to keep the shield up. Floatzel flies forward at high speed and busts through. He drags Eve through the air with him. He flips around and throws her to the ground. Eve grits her teeth and starts to get up. Floatzel crashes into her. She gasps as the wind is knocked out of her. She rolls over and tries to catch her breath. "Eve!"

She grunts and pants. "Brine!"

"Fairy Wind, blow it back at him!"  
She twirls her feelers around and blows the attack back at him. It doesn't hurt him that much. I grit my teeth. "Bite!"

She runs forward and chomps on his leg, dragging him across the floor. "Ice Fang!"  
Floatzel sits up and bites Eve. She releases him as she screams. "Dazzling Gleam!"  
Eve starts shining, dealing some damage to Floatzel. When the light fades, Eve is on the ground, trying to remain conscious. "Bite him again!"

She bites Floatzel, trying to get him off of her. I see ice forming around her. I gasp. "Eve! Quickly!"  
Eve bites down again. Floatzel yelps and jumps back. The ice starts disappearing. Eve struggles to stand, though. " _Can you fight?_ " I ask.

" _Yeah._ "  
She shakes off her pain and glares at Floatzel. "Use Dazzling Gleam."

Eve glows. "Cover your eyes, Floatzel!"  
He covers his eye with his arms. Eve starts walking closer and closer. The light fades. Barry and Crasher Wake gasp. "Crunch!"

"Draining Kiss!"

Eve kisses Floatzel faster than he can bite her. As she kisses, Floatzel's energy becomes hers. "Now, Swift!"

Eve jumps back and swings her feelers, creating stars that fly at Floatzel. He drops to one knee. "Finish him with Moonblast!"

Eve creates an orb and launches it at him. Floatzel slides across the ground until he reaches Crasher Wake's feet. He returns him and smiles. "You did amazing today."  
Dawn smiles at me. "You did it."  
She quickly kisses me. I chuckle, then recoil in pain. "Laughing hurts."

Crasher Wake walks towards us. "You sure battled well. Here's the Fen Badge as proof that you beat me."

I smile. "Thank you."  
"Now get to the Pokémon Center!"

"Fine, fine! We'll go."

Dawn and I enter the Pokémon Center first. Nurse Joy gasps and runs over. "What happened?!"  
"A Mega Evolution mishap."

"What?"

"I'll explain when I get looked at."

She nods. "Follow me."

Roark hands Dawn's Pokédex to Nurse Joy. "There's a recording that shows what happened."  
I lay in a bed and Nurse Joy watches the video closely. "I'm amazed you were able to survive that attack, let alone fight him off."  
I grab Lucario's pokéball and throw it into the air. Lucario appears and looks at me. " _I'm dreadfully Chris. I couldn't control myself._ "

I nod. " _Don't worry. I'll be okay. Nothing's broken. It's nothing serious._ "  
He smiles. " _I'm glad for that._ "  
Riley sits in a chair. "That was a big risk you took. You should've listened to Crasher Wake."  
"I can handle it."  
"Because of this, we'll be set back a few days. You know we're on a time limit."

"Don't worry. We'll be on our way in a couple days."

"I just hope you're right."


	33. Chapter 33

Chapter 33: Lucario and Eve

[Eve's POV]

I wake up in the Pokémon Center bed. I look around. Chris and Dawn are still asleep. I get off the bed and walk to the window. I pull back the curtain with my feelers. It's still night. I sigh. "So you're awake too?" I hear to the right of me.

I jump and look at Lucario. "My Arceus! You scared me."

He smirks. "What're you going to do to pass the time?"  
I sigh. "I have no idea. Maybe walk around?"

"I'll go with you."

"I need to get my mind off of things."

"Oh… the battle?"

"Yeah."  
"Let's go."  
Lucario nods and follows me out the door. We walk to the main lobby and towards the door. I turn to Nurse Joy. She's lying her head on her hands with her eyes closed. She yawns. We leave the building and start roaming around the town. We reach a fountain. It's not running right now, so I hop up and walk on the edge. "It's a beautiful night," he says.

I nod and look at the stars and moon. "It is."

I smile, thinking of Fennec. I close my eyes, feeling a tear on my cheek. "What's wrong?"

I open my eyes. Lucario is looking at me. I shake my head. "Nothing. I'm just remembering someone."  
"Who is it?"  
"A Vulpix from Kalos. His name is Fennec."  
"He seems nice."  
"He is. I wouldn't be here without him."  
"What do you mean?"  
"If it weren't for him, I'd probably be a red stain on the beach fifteen feet below where I met him."  
Lucario gasps and looks at me. "Are you okay?"

I nod. "I'm fine now. My family… they died. I was going through a rough time. Having him near me made me happy. I love him."  
"Don't you love Chris, too?"

I stop and think. "That's true. I wouldn't have been able to evolve without Chris' love, but… Fennec's different. I feel cold and sad when I'm away from him, but I look forward to when I get to see him again."  
I look at the full moon in the night sky. I smile the most I have in a while. "I miss him. I care about him. I love him with all my heart."

Lucario smiles. "I'm glad that you're okay."

I see a shadow fly through the sky. Lucario sees it too. He chuckles. "Darkrai. He's still important."  
I yawn, then lie down. "It's been fun so far with Chris. Ever since I met him, I've noticed he's different than most humans."  
"He isn't a normal human."  
"I think I felt that about him. That's what drove me to want to join him. I wanted to be by his side for the rest of his life. I wanted Fennec to join us, so I don't have to leave either of them behind. I don't want any more sorrow from you, Chris, or Fennec."  
"You really are a peculiar Sylveon."  
I hear people running. "There they are!"  
I turn and see two Team Galactic grunts. I stand up and ready a Moonblast. Lucario readies an Aura Sphere. A man in an elite uniform steps forward with his hands up. "Don't attack. We're on your side."  
I growl. "Lies!"  
"I can't understand you. You just need to trust me."  
He holds out a poffin. It's my favorite kind. I feel my mouth watering, but resist the temptation. He chuckles, then breaks a piece off. He eats it. "It's not poisoned."

I drop the Moonblast and grab the poffin. He also gives one to Lucario. He hands us a bag with a cartridge inside. "I need you to give these to your master."

I cock my head in a questioning look. "My name is Saturn. We need you to be ready to attack us in six months. The Red Chain will be complete by then. The cartridge will explain most of it. Tell you master to place his Pokétch on a table and insert the cartridge then. A hologram of myself will appear. I will try to explain enough. I cannot give you who is in charge of the mission or other info. Please trust us."

I nod and Team Galactic leaves us, smiling. Lucario leans towards me. "We're not telling him, right?"

"Of course not," I say, kicking the bag into the fountain.

[Two Hours Later]

Lucario and I walk into the Pokémon Center. Chris is talking with Nurse Joy. "Are you sure you haven't seen them?" he asks.

"I told you that I haven't seen them."

She looks around and gasps. She points at us. Chris turns around. "There you guys are!"  
I smile and jump into his arms. " _So sorry. I thought we'd be back before you woke up!_ "  
" _It's okay. Just be careful._ "

" _We're fine, Chris,_ " Lucario says.

" _Dawn and Barry are going to challenge Crasher Wake today. Afterwards, we're resting one more night, then it's back on the road._ "

" _All right._ "


	34. Chapter 34

Chapter 34: Dawn vs. Crasher Wake

[Dawn's POV]

Barry climbs into the stands, victorious. I take a deep breath. "You can do this," Chris says, putting a hand on his shoulder.

I kiss him on the cheek and walk to the battlefield. I grip a pokéball in my right hand as Crasher Wake and I stare each other down. We throw the pokéballs at the same time. A Gyarados appears in front of him. Kirlia appears in front of me. The referee puts his hand up. I take a deep breath as he swings his arm down. "Begin!"

"Magical Leaf!" I shout.

"Bite!" Crasher Wake commands.

Kirlia backs up and starts floating. She summons a cluster of leaves and launches them at Gyarados. Gyarados is launching itself at Kirlia. Right before Gyarados reaches her, I yell, "Teleport!"  
She vanishes and reappears on the other side of the battlefield, floating in the air. "Confusion!"  
Gyarados starts twitching in pain as Kirlia's eyes glow purple. It roars and launches at Kirlia. "Dodge with Teleport!"

Kirlia vanishes and Gyarados collides with the wall. "Finish it off with Shadow Ball!"  
She creates an orb of darkness and launches it at Gyarados. "Bite!"  
"Use Teleport and Shadow Ball!"  
Gyarados chomps down on the orb, destroying it. Kirlia vanishes and reappears all over the place, launching the attack. Gyarados is hit all over. It slows down. "Finish him off with Confusion!"

Kirlia's eyes glow and Gyarados falls to the ground, unconscious.

[Chris' POV]

I smirk. "She's playing the distance game. All but one of his pokémon are physical attackers."

Barry nods. "That strategy is really going to help her." He stands up. "Hey Dawn! If you don't win, I'll fine you!"

Dawn smiles. "Then I guess I won't lose!"

I stand up. "You can do it!"  
My right side practically screams in pain. I sit back down and smile. Dawn is smiling.

[Dawn's POV]

"You sure have some great friends," Crasher Wake says. "I bet you don't want to disappoint them."

Kirlia walks back to me. I pick her up and hug her. "That's right. I won't back down! I'll rise up and defeat you!"

I set Kirlia down and grab another pokéball. He throws a pokéball, letting out Quagsire. I throw the pokéball in my hand, letting Infernape out. I grin. The four of them in the crowd gasp. "Dawn! What are you doing?! He's at a major disadvantage!"  
I say nothing. "Water Pulse," Crasher Wake commands.

"Mach Punch!"  
Infernape punches him faster than he can attack. Crasher Wake watches in awe at the attack. "Take to the water, Quagsire!"

"Grab him! Don't let him get near it!"

Infernape grabs Quagsire and restrains him. "Throw him into the air and use Mach Punch repeatedly!"

Infernape launches Quagsire into the air and jumps after him. He vanishes from sight and shockwaves rock the air. Quagsire is thrown through the air by repeated punches. "Finish him, Infernape!"  
He slows down and hold his fists together above him. Quagsire nears him and Infernape slams down on him. He rockets down to the battlefield. Dirt flies into the air. Infernape charges a Fire Punch and readies his last punch. Quagsire stands up, visible through the dirt. "Mud Slap!"  
"Punch the blasts away!"  
Several globs of mud fire at Infernape. He punches them away and finally punches Quagsire. He flies across the arena and hits the wall. He stands up and takes a step. Infernape gets ready. Quagsire falls over. "Quagsire is unable to battle! Infernape is the winner!"  
I smile. Infernape comes back to me and sits down, resting. I nod to Kirlia. She walks out to the battlefield. Crasher Wake throws his last pokéball, letting Floatzel out.

"Begin!"  
"Aqua Jet!"  
"Use Confusion!"

Kirlia attempts to attack, but is hit back by Floatzel. "Teleport!"  
She disappears and reappears on the other side of the battlefield. "Shadow Ball!"  
She fires multiple black and purple orbs at Floatzel. He weaves around each one and collides with Kirlia again. She gets up and is hit from behind sliding up in front of me. The referee starts moving his hand up. Floatzel stops attacking. Kirlia starts moving. She stands up and growls. " _Dawn. Let's go!_ "  
"Get up Kirlia! You can do it! You can win!"

She stands up and smiles. She start glowing white. She changes and grows a dress-like skin. Her hair curls around her head. The light fades. "Gardevoir!"  
I smile. "Let's finish this!"  
She nods and turns around. "Aqua Jet!"

"Teleport!"

She disappears and reappears quicker now. "Psychic!"  
She puts her arm out and glows blue. Floatzel freezes in place. " _You lose,_ " she says.

Floatzel flies upwards, then she swipes down. Floatzel crashes into the ground with an overwhelming amount of force. He crawls out of the crater and collapses. "Floatzel is unable to battle, making Gardevoir and Dawn the winners!"  
I cheer in victory. Gardevoir and Infernape smile. I look at Chris. He's smiling at me. Crasher Wake walks over to me and holds his hand out. The Fen Badge is lying in his hand. "Here you go. The Fen Badge."

I take it. "Thank you."

"You used a Fire-type. Why?"

"I knew it wouldn't be a problem if Infernape could outspeed Quagsire. Since Quagsire's slower on land, I knew that as long as I kept him on land, I would beat him with speed."  
"You're quite the challenger. I'd say you're just behind Chris."

"And Barry?"  
"He has strong pokémon, but as a trainer, he's rather cocky and has trouble thinking up strategies. The only reason he beat me was because of his strength. That doesn't mean he's a good trainer."  
I nod. "I agree. He's never beaten Chris."

"I can see why. Chris is an expert in battle. He can think up a strategy on the fly and has the strength and pokémon to use them. His flaws are his temper and self-destructive nature. He's selfless, but that can cause him to get himself hurt. You're lucky he's as durable as he is. If not for that, I don't think he'd be around right now."  
"I know that. He's Chris. That's what makes him _him_."  
I look at Chris and smile.

[Chris' POV]

"What do you think they're talking about Chris?" Barry asks.

Eve giggles. I look at her. "What?"

" _I'm not telling you._ "  
"Now I'm curious."

" _Nope._ "  
Riley stands up. "We should go and get some rest. We start our trek tomorrow."

"Back to Jubilife, huh?" Roark asks. "I can't wait to see Dad again."  
"If only I could stop by the lab or Mom's house again," I say, remembering. "That would be great."  
"We don't have the time. There's no telling when Team Galactic will put their plan into motion."

Eve scoots closer to me. " _Keep petting me._ "

I realize I stopped stroking her fur. I sigh and scratch behind her ear. She smiles.

[Saturn's POV]

I walk through the base, watching the grunts and scientists continue their work. Charon is doing field work again. I step into the lab. Cyrus is waiting for me. Mesprit nods. " _I've established the link._ "  
" _I've delivered the message._ "  
" _I don't think they will trust you._ "  
" _What do you mean?_ "

" _The pokémon were told to fight us. They won't trust you._ "

" _It's too risky to talk with them directly. Charon could be listening at any time. He suspects that we're working together._ "  
" _He'd be right to think that. I have been acting differently around him lately._ "

" _So have I._ "

" _Exactly._ "

" _Well, what now?_ "

" _I think it's best to bide our time for the moment. The Red Chain will be completed by spring next year._ "  
" _Chris and the rest are going from Pastoria to Canalave City. They will most likely arrive in spring._ "

Cyrus slams down on the table. " _Damn it!_ "

" _What should we do? They won't be anywhere near us._ "

" _We bring them to us. Didn't that Kirlia give you a Pokétch number?_ "

" _Yes._ "  
" _When the Red Chain is at 95% completion, call that number. Make sure Charon isn't near you when you do. Tell them where this base is. Once the Chain is at 95% completion, I bet Charon will want to do nothing but speed up the process. He will not leave the lab. I know him well enough to know that. He's persistent._ "

" _Will they trust us?_ "

" _All we can do right now is hope._ "

" _How complete is the Chain now?_ "

" _Around 50%._ "

" _Is there anything else?_ "  
" _No. You're dismissed._ "

I nod and wave to the Lake Trio. " _Hang in there for a just a bit more._ "

They three of them nod. " _Good luck._ "

I nod and exit the lab.


	35. Chapter 35

Chapter 35: Winter

[Chris' POV; Three Weeks Later]

I shiver and tighten my scarf. Dawn is leaning against me, trying to bundle together. She's also shivering. Riley is trudging along behind us. Eve is in her pokéball, nice and warm. Riolu is too.

The bitter cold of the six inch deep snow is terrible. Ice cold water seeps into my shoes, freezing my feet. The snow hasn't stopped falling for a day now. Roark looks at me. "We need to get out of this. We'll die from frostbite before we even get to Hearthome City."

I nod. "We need to find a cave or something like that."  
Dawn looks around. Barry lets Combusken out. "I need you to help find a cave."

He nods and walks along the side of the road. I let out Darkrai. "Can you help Combusken?"

He nods. " _Of course._ "  
They go to look. We keep trudging through the snow. I see an opening to a cave when Barry collapses. I turn back and pick him up, having to use my Aura due to the cold. "Get to that cave!" I yell over the wind, which is starting to pick up.

Dawn and Riley start running towards the opening of the cave. Roark looks up. "Oh Arceus! It's a blizzard!"

I grit my teeth. "Darkrai! Combusken! Get Barry to the cave. You guys are faster than I am!"  
Darkrai floats over and grabs Barry. They make it to the cave in a matter of seconds. Roark and I run through the freezing air. He stumbles and falls. I grab his hand and try to help him up. He doesn't respond. "Dammit!"

I surround myself in Aura and pick him up. I run through the frozen hellscape and into the cave, where the others await. I set Roark down next to Barry. I create an Aura Sphere in my hand and throw it towards the entrance. The sphere hits the ceiling, caving it in, but still leaving some openings for air. The light is about the same. Dawn lets out Infernape to light up the cave. Infernape sits down and rests. The cave isn't too big, but there is enough space for everyone to be comfortable. "How long do you think we'll be here?" I ask Riley.

He looks at me and shakes his head. "A Sinnoh blizzard can range from a few hours to all season, Chris."  
I gasp. "No."  
He nods. "We may be stuck in here for a while."  
"First things first, we need to make sure everyone's okay, then we need to figure out our food situation."

Riley nods. "I'll take a look at those two. Take off your shoes and clothes. We need to let them dry. Luckily we have Fire-types. We will be able to stay warm and keep our clothes dry. Water-types can also be useful. We can make hot water and melt snow for fresh water."

"We bought quite a bit of food before we left Pastoria, so we should be able to last for a few weeks. If we ration it, maybe a month," Dawn says.  
"We need to prepare for the worst case possible. We will ration the food. We all pitch in to keep each other alive."

Riley starts tending to Roark and Barry. Dawn and I walk down the cave. I see a branching path. "Riley! Dawn and I are going to explore and make sure it's safe!"

"Okay. Don't be gone too long! Save your energy!"

We explore the cave for nearly a hour. By the time we get back, Riley is waking the two of them up. Barry woke up first, then about ten minutes later, Roark starts to stir. Barry is sitting near Combusken, having changed his clothes. We're all barefoot and waiting for our shoes to dry, with the exception of Roark. He brought a second pair, what he calls his "mining shoes".

I sit next to Dawn and Infernape. We let out all of our pokémon since there's no point to leaving them in their pokéballs. Eve walks over to me and lies down. She rubs her head against me. " _Can't we walk through the snow while the Fire-types heat up the area?_ "  
I start petting her. " _They can't handle all that stress._ "

" _Oh. So, what now?_ "  
" _The only thing we can do is wait._ "  
[Cyrus' POV; Team Galactic HQ]

I look out my window. The blizzard rages on. Crobat flies over to me. " _What did the reporters say about the storm, Cyrus?_ "  
" _They said that it'll probably last for nearly a month and a half._ "

" _That means Chris and his friends have to go through that._ "

" _A grunt on our side has been keeping an eye on them. She reported that they went into a cave to escape the blizzard._ "  
" _And what about her?_ "  
" _She said she ran into the cave ahead of them. No one noticed her in the commotion._ "  
" _At least she's safe._ "  
" _I'm only worried about what would happen if they meet each other. I've ordered her to dress in her normal clothes. I told her to bring extra food just in case. Seems it will come in handy._ "  
Crobat flies to the desk. " _I want to see them again._ "  
I nod and press the switch on my desk. The television rises out of the front and turns on. The surveillance footage from the lab appears on screen. Charon is typing on his computer. He starts laughing. Crobat watches the Lake Trio. Charon is calling someone on his phone. My phone starts ringing. I pick up. "Yes?"

"It's Charon. I've gotten a lucky break!"

"What is it?"  
"I can get the Red Chain done in two months!"  
My eyes go wide. "Good. Proceed with it."  
I hang up and hit the desk. " _Damn it!_ "

Crobat flies up and looks at me. " _What's wrong?_ "  
" _Go to Saturn._ "  
I grab a paper and write a coded message on it. " _Give him this._ "  
He nods and takes it. He flies out the door and I sit down. I watch Charon chuckling on the screen in front of me. I put my hand on my desk. I grit my teeth. The desk starts rotting under my hand as my Aura flares around me. "' _We need to get into contact with them. Call them tomorrow night.' Hurry, Saturn. Time is running out._ "

[Samantha's POV; Unmarked Cave]

I look at myself in my mirror. My brown hair looks amazing after getting the blue wig off. I'm wearing a black sweater and underneath, a grey shirt. My sweatpants are black, like my sweater. I take a deep breath and prepare to make myself known. "I won't fail you Cyrus," I whisper to myself.

He packed enough food to feed a group of people for a month if they ration it. I smile and put my mirror back into my bag. I look at my Team Galactic uniform on the ground in front of me. I look at Charmeleon. "Flamethrower, please."  
Charmeleon scorches the uniform to dust. "Thank you."  
Charmeleon smiles at me. I inhale and slowly exhale. "Let's go."


	36. Chapter 36

Chapter 36: All Is Revealed

[Chris' POV]

I sit up in my sleeping bag. Dawn is still asleep. I stretch and get out of the tent. I sit on a rock and start meditating, but a tent opening startles me. Eve get out of my tent and walks over to me. She smiles at me. " _Good morning Chris._ "

" _Morning._ "  
She sighs. " _I'm so bored._ "

" _It's not like we can go outside._ "

" _I mean… we can. We'll die, though._ "

I shiver at the thought. " _It's still cold, though._ "

" _Infernape and Combusken can't sleep in tents, so they're out here somewhere._ "

" _I know._ "

Roark gets out of his tent. "Morning, Chris. Good morning, Eve."

Eve smiles. " _Good morning!_ "

I smile and translate for him. "I'm going to get to cooking some breakfast."

"I'll help."  
"Oh? Thank you."  
Roark gives me orders as I cook. Eve watches us as we make some food. I feel a tap on my shoulder. Roark turns around and freezes. "Whatcha cookin'?" I hear a woman say.

I turn around. A brunette is staring me in the eye. I yelp in fear. "Did I scare you?" she asks. She puts out her hand. "Samantha Blake. Nice to finally meet you in person, Chris Moore."  
I freeze in fear. "H-how do you-?"

"Oh, I know quite a bit of people who know your name. I don't think I should say though."  
"Who?"

"Oh, the International Police, the Pokémon League, the Gym Leaders… Team Galactic."

"You know about Team Galactic?!" Roark asks.

She giggles. "Why would an Admin not know about her own organization?"  
I gasp. "Y-y-y-you're a-"  
"Team Galactic Admin? Yup," she says, winking. "I've been told to tail you and report back to base about your movements. I was given special orders to show myself and tell you a few things."  
"What kinds of things?" I growl, flaring up my Aura.

"No need to use your Aura, Chris."

"You know?"

"All of Team Galactic knows."

"Really?"  
She nods. "First things first, I'm on your side. Some grunts, admins, and even a commander are on your side."  
"I don't believe it. Why should I?"

"Didn't you get the message Saturn gave you?"

"What are you talking about?"  
Eve looks away. Sam looks at Eve. "You didn't give it to him, did you?"

I look at Eve. " _What the fuck?!_ "

" _I didn't believe them! They're Team Galactic!_ "  
I sigh. "Okay, I'll buy it for now, but I still don't trust you."  
"You don't have to trust me, but you should trust Saturn. Either way, you're stuck with me for the moment. That blizzard is gonna last a couple months, according to the reporters."

"Really?!"

I hear someone groan. Riley peeks out of his tent. "Can you three keep it down?"

He sees Sam. "Hi," she says.

Riley gets out of his tent and rubs his eyes. "Who the hell are you?"

"Samantha Blake, Team Galactic Admin, at your service."  
Riley stares at her. "What's wrong?" she asks.  
"I'm trying to find out if you're serious or not."

"Of course I'm serious!"

Riley goes back to his tent. "Whatever, just let me sleep."  
Sam turns back to me. "That's all I can really tell you right now, Chris, so I'm just gonna stay here until I'm given orders."  
I stare at her as she lies on the floor and hums a tune to herself.

[Saturn's POV; Team Galactic HQ; Two Weeks Later]

I run to Cyrus' office. "Charon's asleep. What is going on?"

"The Red Chain will be completed soon. He found a way to speed up the process."  
"That's bad. How long?"  
"A month and a half, maybe even shorter if he gets more people working with him."

"Damn."

"Call them right now."

"I couldn't get through last time. I even tried our agent's Pokétch."

He growls. "Leave the base. I'll say you went on an extended research expedition."

I nod. "Get them out of that cave. Tell them everything."  
"Really?"

He nods. "Get going. Time is of the essence."

I run through the halls and reach the teleporter to the elevator room. If I take the car, I'll get there in a day. The grunts I called arrive. "We need to go!"

[Chris' POV; Unmarked Cave; That Night]

I walk through the corridors of the cave with Dawn. We hold hands and look at the crystals on the walls and ceiling.

Dawn opens her mouth to say something, but she's interrupted by an explosion. We stop and turn around. "That was back at camp," she says.

We start running back through the cave to the camp. I see the man that Dawn and I saw in the woods. Eve comes running to me. " _It's the man who gave me the message!_ "

He sees me and runs over to me. "Chris!"

I step back, startled. Samantha walks over. "Commander Saturn," she says, saluting.

"You don't have to do that, dear."  
She sighs in relief. "Thanks," she says.

I look at Saturn. "So you're him. The last commander?"

"No. There's one more. _He's_ our enemy."

"Cyrus," Dawn says with malice in her tone.

"What? No!" Saturn and Sam shout.

"Then who?" Barry asks, running over.

"The person we have to worry about is a man named Charon. He and Cyrus created Team Galactic. Cyrus can tell you later, but Charon is a dangerous man who wants to remake the world in his own image."  
"I thought Cyrus wanted that," Roark says.

Saturn shakes his head. "No. He wanted an organization that would help both people and pokémon. From what I know, Charon tricked Cyrus to give him permission to construct a contraption that would summon Dialga and Palkia, the Legendary Pok-"

"Yes I know. We've met them."  
"What?!" Sam and Riley shout.

"In Alamos Town, we had a little problem with Darkrai."

"Darkrai?" Saturn says with wonder.

"Yeah," I answer. I point to Darkrai. "He's over there."  
Saturn jolts around. Darkrai nods to him. Saturn turns back around. "Cyrus didn't say anything about that."

"Continue please."  
He nods. "Charon wants to use the powers of the Legendary Pokémon to create a new universe."

"How does this involve the Lake Trio?"

"He needed their DNA to complete the Red Chain. It is also said that they can reverse the power of the Red Chain, so he wanted them locked away."  
"We need to stop him!" Barry yells. "Take us to the HQ and we'll beat him."  
"He'll kill Cyrus as soon as the alarm goes off. He knows that Cyrus is planning something."

"Oh…"

"I can take you to Jubilife City, though. I'll explain everything else on the way."

I nod. "Let's go. We'll finish this."


	37. Chapter 37

Chapter 37: Riley's Final Lesson

I watch the sun set. Saturn has explained everything. The blizzard hasn't let up the whole time. Fire-types and Pokémon Rangers are working around the clock to prevent the snow from getting out of control. There's an area for cars to drive above the routes. An elevated highway for fast travel, but most people prefer to walk or bike their way around. Almost no one has a car anyway. The highway has a path to every city, so businessmen, Pokémon League officials, and now Team Galactic can get to anywhere they need to. Dawn squeezes on my hand. "What's wrong?" I ask, not turning from the window.

"What do you think will happen once we attack?"

Saturn looks in the rear-view mirror. "I can tell you that."

"I know, but I want to hear it from Chris."  
"I understand. You want to hear the answer from the one you love and trust."

"How do you understand though?"  
"Samantha is my wife, Dawn. There was no one else I could trust to keep an eye on you guys, besides Cyrus."  
I turn to Dawn. "I'll tell you what will happen. We'll go right to the lab and arrest Charon."  
"There are grunts and admins that support Charon more than Cyrus. They will surely defend him," Saturn states.

"You know that grunts and admins are much weaker than me."  
"I'm well aware."

I take a deep breath and look out the window again.

[Noon, the Next Day]

I wake up when the car comes to a stop. The car behind us stops as well. Roark, Riley, Barry, and Samantha get out of it. Dawn is lying her head on my shoulder. I gently shake her awake. She opens her eyes and smiles at me. "What is it?"

"We're here."  
Saturn gets out and closes the door. Dawn and I follow suit. Saturn looks at me. "Sam and I are going to head back to the base. You're going to have to attack us when I call you. The entrance to the base is on the north side of the lake north of Jubilife City. Under a rock on the cliffside, there is a keypad. The code is 2791. It will lead you to an elevator. Take it to the lowest level and step into the teleporter. I will be waiting for you on the other side."

We nod. "We will see you then," Roark says.

"Good luck," Samantha says.

They get back into the cars and drive away. We start walking towards Jubilife City. As we walk, I dial Professor Rowan on my Pokétch. He picks up. "Hello, Chris. We haven't talked in awhile."

"Where are you right now? I want to talk with you about something."

"I'm in Jubilife City right now, actually."  
"Where in Jubilife?"  
"I'm at the Pokémon Center."

"I'll see you there."  
"Okay…"  
I hang up. "Let's run," Dawn says.  
Barry makes it to the Pokémon Center first, not surprisingly. Roark and Riley arrive next, then Dawn and I open the door. I walk in and look around. Rowan is in the cafeteria. I run into it. "Professor Rowan!"

He looks up. "My Arceus! You're actually here!"  
I nod. He looks at me. "You've really grown since I've last seen you, Chris."  
I smile. "I guess I have."  
Dawn walks to the side of me. "Hi, Professor," she says cheerfully.

Rowan smiles. "You've grown into a fine woman, Dawn."

She blushes. "Thank you, Professor."  
Barry sits down next to where I'm standing. "I see Barry's still the same as ever."  
Roark and Riley sit at the same table as Barry. "I see Roark is still with you, but I'm afraid I don't recognize you, young man."  
Riley looks up. "My name is Riley. I'm Chris' mentor."  
"Mentor? For battles?"

"I guess you can say that."  
"Pokémon battles… I would think Chris would need the least amount of training in that area."  
I clear my throat. "Professor, we need to go somewhere private."

He nods.

A few minutes later, we're in a field to the west of Jubilife City. Rowan nods, telling me to talk. I take a deep breath. "Have you heard of Aura?"

"You would need to be more specific. Pokémon or human Aura?"  
"Human."  
"I know it existed back before the Great War, but besides that, I know almost nothing about it."  
"You've got one thing wrong about that statement."

I nod to Riley. He nods back. We both flare up our Aura. "Aura still exists. I'm an Aura user. Riley is my mentor in wielding Aura."

Riley closes his eyes and his Aura dissipates. "Professor Rowan, we came here with one intention. To put a stop to Team Galactic, but we've learned much more than that."  
"What do you mean?"  
Riley looks at me. "Show him all of your current pokémon."

He looks at Dawn and Barry. "You guys should, too."

I grab all of my pokéballs and throw them into the air. Luxray, Darkrai, Eve, Lucario, Empoleon, and Rotom appear. Dawn throws hers. Lopunny, Infernape, Gardevoir, Buizel, and Pachirisu appear. Barry throws his. Torterra, Combusken, Rapidash, and Staraptor appear. Rowan stares at all of our pokémon. "Where are Mesprit, Uxie, and Azelf?"

I look down. "Team Galactic got them. A while ago."  
Rowan hangs his head. "No. They're our only hope."  
"Not anymore."  
Rowan looks at me. "What do you mean?"  
"Not everyone in Team Galactic is evil. Cyrus and Commander Saturn are a few examples."  
"Isn't Cyrus the leader?"  
"Yes and no. He's being blackmailed by the head scientist and co-founder, Charon. He's our true target."

"Cyrus is also an Aura user. Poison. Chris and I have Fighting," Riley butts in.

Rowan turns around. "Defeat him. Whatever it takes. I'm proud of all of you. You've come so far and haven't given up. I believe in you. Everyone's counting on you all."  
I smile. "Thank you."  
"Good luck to you all."

Rowan walks away. As he disappears from sight, Riley turns to me. "I have one last task for you. If you succeed, your training is over."

"What is it?"

"You must defeat me in battle."  
I nod and back up. Eve gets in front of me, ready to fight. "He doesn't mean a pokémon battle, Eve."

Eve looks back at me. " _Oh… sorry._ "  
She walks away and lies down. Dawn sits by her and pets her. Eve smiles. Riley's Lucario sits down under a tree and watches us. Riley stares me down and gets into a fighting stance. I copy him. "3…"

He drags his right foot back. "2…"

He plants his left foot firmly on the ground in front of him. "1."

He blinks. His Aura flares around him. I let mine do the same. "Go."


	38. Chapter 38

Chapter 38: Chris vs. Riley

Riley runs forward, making the first move. He jumps into the air, boosting himself with Aura. He goes for a drop kick. I use a Force Palm to push against him. He points his arms down and uses a Dual Force Palm, leaping over my attack. He goes behind me. I hear another blast, then charge Aura around my right arm. I turn around and get ready to punch. Riley is nearing me, drawing his fist back. I punch at him, but his arm moves faster, expelling Aura. I am blasted back. I roll on the ground as I try to recover. The wind is knocked out of me. I get up, albeit shakily. "How…?" I murmur.

I look at Riley. He shakes his head. "You still don't understand, Chris."  
"Understand what?"  
"Why would I tell you that?"  
"You're my mentor!"  
"A mentor is someone who puts you on the right path. You are supposed to find things out for yourself."  
"Damn you."  
Riley sighs. "You won't get anywhere like that, Chris."  
I growl and run after him. I surround my fists with Aura. Riley keeps leaning out of the way. "Stand still!"  
"Will Charon stand still, Chris?"  
I wind a punch, but he grabs my shirt and knees me in the stomach. He lets go of me. I hold myself up and try not to throw up. "You're presenting your attacks too much. Anyone can dodge you if you do that. Fix it now!"  
I growl and do a low kick. Riley is caught off guard as his legs are swept out from under him. I jump up ready for his next attacks. Riley gets up and smirks. "Congratulations," he says sarcastically. "You got off _one_ good attack, but what if Charon has one of your friends in danger. What would you do then?!"  
I grit my teeth. "Stop it…"  
"What if he kills Barry or Roark or me?!"

I curl my hands into fists. "I said stop it."  
"What if he kills Dawn right in front of you?!"  
"STOP IT!" I yell, flaring my Aura around me.

Riley grins. "Use that anger to-"

I grab his arm and drag his body over my shoulder. I step on his chest and twist my foot into it. He yells in pain. "Stop, Chris!"  
I take my foot off of him and kick him. He lands on his stomach and he rolls down the hill. My Aura grows more intense by the second. I feel lightheaded as I walk towards Riley. Suddenly, I feel arms around me. I turn around and see Dawn. She's smiling. "Stop. Don't hurt him anymore."  
I smile and calm down. My Aura fades and I turn around. Riley gets up and grins. "That hurt."  
"Sorry about that."  
"You lose control when you get angry. Your Aura grows to the point where it overwhelms you. That isn't good. Your body can't handle that much power yet, Chris."  
I nod. "I get it."

"Good, then let's continue."  
"No. I understand why you made me angry."

"Oh? Then tell me."  
Dawn goes back to the group. "My Aura is part of me, not an extension of myself. I still see it as something I summon, but in reality, it's just my own power."  
"You finally understand."  
I nod, this time not showing my Aura, just like Riley and Cyrus when they fought me. Riley runs forward and jumps. He doesn't move his arms or legs. I see a vision of him punching. He moves his real arm. I dodge his punch. Riley looks back at me and smiles. "Detect. It's how I knew what attacks you were going to use. The only problem is, it exhausts you as you use it."  
I nod. "Got it."  
Riley goes for a low kick, but I jump and use Force Palm. He forms a barrier, but is pushed back still. He stumbles for an instant. I run forward and jump into the air. I do a Dual Force Palm on the ground. Riley grins as I jump over him. "That's my move, Chris."  
He turns around, but I use Force Palm in front of me. He gasps and I blast behind me, kicking him from behind. He struggles to breathe as I knock the air out of him. He drops to the ground, gasping for air. I kick him onto his back and lift him up. He smiles. "Amazing."  
I suddenly feel fatigued. I drop him and fall onto my back. I take deep breaths. Riley chuckles. "You used your Aura too much in a short period of time. I wouldn't try using that quadruple Force Palm any time soon."

He reaches down. I grab his hand and pull myself up. We both grin and shake each other's hand. "You are done with your training under me, Chris. You fought well."  
"You didn't teach me combat at all, though. How did I even stand up to you?"

"As an Aura user, fighting using Aura is in your blood."  
"I see."

Barry and Dawn run over to me. "Chris!" Barry shouts. "That was awesome!"  
Dawn smiles. "You did really good."

"It's nothing, really."  
Riley laughs. "Let's get some rest and something to eat."  
I nod. "We're going to need energy to take them on in a few days."  
"At least a few days," Roark corrects, walking over. "We don't know when the Red Chain will be done."  
I nod. "Yeah…"  
"Let's not think about that right now, though," Dawn says, holding her stomach. "I need some _real_ food."  
I chuckle. "Let's go."


	39. Chapter 39

Chapter 39: Saturn's Mutiny

We run to the lake north of Jubilife City. It's been four days since we've last seen Saturn. He called us about five minutes ago. He reach the cliffside. We all start looking for the keypad. I tug on a rock, but to no avail. "Guys!" Dawn shouts. "I found it."

I run over. I put in 2791. The space behind the numbers turns green. I see a space on the cliffside split open down the middle. It opens a gap a few yards wide. We all go in and it closes behind us. Dawn leads us down the stairs and to an elevator. It opens and a grunt walks out. He stares at us, then puts his hand to his ear, going to his comm link. I punch him, knocking him out. I set him outside of the elevator. We get in and press the button leading to the lowest floor. No one else stops the elevator and we reach the teleporter room. "Who wants to go first?" Roark asks.

I step onto the platform. "I'll see you on the other side."  
I press the activation button and wave to my friends. They vanish instantly and I appear facing Saturn. "You're here. Good."

Dawn comes through next, then Barry, Riley, and finally, Roark. Saturn nods. "Follow me. We'll head to Cyrus' office. Stand in front of me. Act like prisoners."  
"What about Charon?"  
"He hasn't left the lab. We'll be fine. He's been working with a group of scientists to speed up the process as much as he can."  
We walk through several halls, passing several grunts and a few admins including Samantha, who joins us. We reach a hall with a single door at the end of it. Saturn nudges me. "Go to the door and open it. Don't say a word, his room is bugged."

I nod and walk alone to the door. I take a deep breath and press the button next to it. The door slides open and Cyrus looks up at me. He smiles and nods, standing up. He walks over to me and puts his hand out. I smile and shake his hand. He mouths, "Follow me."

He leads us through several more halls, until we reach a large door. Cyrus grits his teeth. I nod. Saturn punches, telling me what to do. I nod and surround my fist with Aura. I punch the door, sending it flying inwards. I walk in, flaring my Aura. "Which one of you is Charon?!" I shout.

An older man growls. "You…"  
I see Uxie, Mesprit, and Azelf in containers on a table. Uxie smiles. " _Chris!_ "  
I smile. "Uxie!"  
"Not so fast!" Charon yells, holding a remote.

I think back to what Saturn said. It's the remote that will give Cyrus a lethal shock. "I'll kill him, you brat!"  
I turn to Cyrus. "Attack him, Chris. I'll withstand it for as long as I can!"  
Charon growls and presses the button. Dawn sends out Infernape and Lopunny. "Free the Lake Trio, you two!"  
Barry sends out Combusken and Rapidash. "Help Infernape and Lopunny."  
Riley sends out Lucario. "Help us!"

Roark throws a pokéball. Rampardos appears. "Help Riley and Chris!"  
I send out Eve, Lucario and Darkrai. "Darkrai, put the other scientists into a nightmare! Eve and Lucario, join me and Riley!"  
Cyrus starts shouting in pain, but I jump and blast Charon. He drops the remote. Riley picks it up and crushes it. Cyrus stops. I turn to him. He grabs the collar of his uniform. He hand glows purple and it rots away. The uniform turns to dust. "I'll defeat Charon, Chris," he says.  
Charon grins. "Just _try_ to kill me, Cyrus!"  
Cyrus grits his teeth. He's wearing a black shirt and the pants of his uniform. Riley and I get out of his way. I hear glass shattering. Uxie flies into my arms. " _Chris!_ " she shouts happily.

Mesprit returns to Dawn and Azelf returns to Barry. "I missed you, Uxie," I say.

" _I did too,_ " she replies, crying.

Cyrus smiles at the two of us. "It broke my heart to separate you three from your pokémon."  
Charon growls. "When did you become so soft?! Where's the stone-cold young man I knew before?!"  
"He's gone. The real Cyrus is here."  
Cyrus grabs Charon's head and his hand glows purple. Charon just laughs. Both Cyrus and I gasp. "How?!"  
Charon just keeps cackling. "Poison doesn't hurt Steel, Cyrus!"  
I gasp. Charon hardens his fist and punches Cyrus in the stomach. Cyrus drops to his knees. "You… too…?"

"Of course I'm an Aura user, Cyrus."  
I growl and run forward. I jump and blast behind me, speeding myself towards Charon. He holds his right hand out, creating a steel barrier. I crash into it, doing no damage to it. "Iron Defense!"  
"Then try to block this! Riley!"

Riley nods and runs to my side. "Quadruple… Force Palm!"

Riley and I blast his barrier with a huge blast. It destroys the area around him, but he doesn't have a scratch on him. "You stupid kids!"  
I pant from over-usage. Riley grits his teeth, unable to do anything else. He's weaker than me. Charon grabs a case. "I'll just take the Red Chain and put the plan into action! There's nothing you can do to stop me!"  
He presses a button on the computer. I'm too scared to do anything. I can't move. Even if I had the courage to attack him, what can I do? He lets go of the button and a wall opens up. A teleporter is on the other side of it. "Enjoy your last few hours of life, everyone! Soon, I will be a god!"  
He reaches into his lab coat and pulls out a grenade. He pulls the pin and drops it. He teleports away. "Run!" Cyrus yells.

We turn around, but I hear an explosion behind us. Uxie hugs me, forming a barrier around me. Cyrus and Riley are being protected as well. The smoke clears and a path to the outside is visible. Uxie drops the shield. " _I can't lose you now._ "  
"I know," I reply. I turn to Cyrus. "Where did he go?"  
"Mount Coronet. He's going to summon Dialga and Palkia."

I look outside. The green fields below are teeming with people investigating what's happening. The blizzard isn't affecting this side of Mount Coronet because the peak reaches into the clouds. Saturn runs over. "We need to leave."

I nod. "Let's go."

I return Eve and Lucario. "Samantha and Saturn. Grab onto Darkrai."

They both grab onto him. Cyrus throws a pokéball. Crobat appears. "I get it."

I nod to Uxie. "Let's go!"

I jump out of the opening, waiting for Uxie to catch me. I feel myself flying as Uxie floats me to the ground. I see Cynthia running towards us. The base is just above the entrance, so the lake is nearby. I land on the ground. Dawn and Riley next with Mesprit, then Barry and Roark with Azelf. Cynthia looks at us. "What happened?!"  
"Team Galactic's base is in that cliffside."

"Did you get Cyrus?"  
As she says that, I look up and see Cyrus hanging onto Crobat, who flies him down. Cynthia gasps. "Cyrus!"  
He looks at her. "Hello, ma'am."  
Cynthia is taken aback by his polite greeting. "I'm Cynthia and I'm here to arrest you!"

I stand in between them. "You have the wrong person. Cyrus isn't the bad guy. Charon is."

"Charon? Who's Charon?"

Darkrai descends with Saturn and his wife. "There's no time to explain right now," Saturn answers. "We just need to stop him before he summons Dialga and Palkia!"

Cynthia gasps. "Oh no."

I nod. "The vision came early. What's more, Charon is an Aura user. He has Steel Aura."

Cynthia grits her teeth. "We need to go to Mount Coronet, correct?"

Cyrus nods. "Yes."  
"How can we get there quickly?"  
I see a shadow pass over us. I look up. Team Rocket's hot air balloon is descending. Cynthia looks at them, then at us. "We need to get to the peak of Mount Coronet," she says to Jessie and James. "Can you get us there?"  
"I'm afraid we can't take all of you," James says. "We can probably take you and two others if you want to make it there quickly."

Cynthia nods. She points to Saturn and Samantha. "You two, with me."  
They nod and get in. Cynthia climbs in after them. She looks back at the rest of us. "I don't know what to do about the rest of you."  
I smile. "We'll find a way."  
Cyrus sighs and pulls a phone out of his pocket. He dials a number. "Open the garage."  
Team Rocket takes off as the cliffside opens again. Cyrus leads us inside. I see a helicopter on a helipad. "Get in. I'll fly us there," he says.

I climb into the back. Dawn sits next to me. Riley, Barry, and Roark sit across from us. I return Darkrai. Uxie is wrapped in my arms. Dawn is holding Mesprit and Barry is holding Azelf. Dawn looks at me. "We'll win this," she says.

Cyrus gives us headsets. "You'll need these to block out the noise. You'll have to return the Lake Trio to their pokéballs."

I look at Uxie. "I'll see you in a bit."

She nods. " _See you._ "  
I return her. My Pokédex beeps. I look at it. "Please select a Pokémon to transfer to the PC," it says.

I'm about to select Luxray when it stops beeping. My Pokétch is beeping. "I've given you all permission to use more than six pokémon in battle," Cynthia says. "A little gift for you guys."

"Thank you."  
I put the headset on. "Ready?" Cyrus asks.

"Yes," we all say.

"Perfect. We're off."

The helipad moves outside of the garage. The blades start moving and the helicopter slowly lifts up. We fly into the sky. I see Mount Coronet out of the left side of the chopper. "Get ready. There's no going back from this," Cyrus warns.

"I know," I reply. "We're ready."

We turn towards Mount Coronet and fly towards it.


	40. Chapter 40

Chapter 40: The Red Chain

As we near Mount Coronet, I concentrate on making a plan to beat Charon. Cyrus' Aura will be useless against him, so he'll be relying on Riley and I to make a move. Riley's weaker than me, but has been using Aura much longer than I have. Our pokémon can help us, but I'm not sure how much stronger than me they are. I grit my teeth. Dawn puts her hand on mine. I look at her. She's worried. I can tell. "Can we win?" she asks.

Riley looks at me. He's wondering the same thing. Barry opens his mouth to answer, but stops, frowning. I close my eyes. "I don't know."  
" _You have us,_ " Uxie says.

I smile. "I keep forgetting. We've been away from you for so long that I forget to include you three in the plan. Will you have enough energy to fight after reversing the Red Chain's effects?"

" _I… don't know…_ "

"I have an idea," Dawn says. "I don't think it'll work, though."  
"What is it?" Roark asks.

"Chris, Cyrus, and Riley could distract Charon as the Lake Trio destroys the Red Chain. The rest of us can try to get Dialga and Palkia on our side."

I gasp, thinking back to Alamos Town. Uxie said, " _Palkia trusts you…_ "  
"I'll handle Palkia," I say.

Riley gasps. "We need you helping with Charon!"  
"Trust me. You weren't at Alamos Town."

Dawn nods. "If you get Palkia on our side, the rest of us will handle Dialga."

Roark chuckles. "What is it?" I ask.

"All this time passes and we're trying to get two gods on our side."  
I smile, then think. "Gods. Gods, gods, god… Arceus…"  
Dawn looks at me. "What are you thinking?"

I take out my Pokédex and look up Arceus. I hold the speaker up to my headset microphone. "Arceus, the Alpha Pokémon. It is said to have emerged from an egg in a place where there was nothing, then shaped the world."

Riley looks at me. "You're insane."  
"What?"  
"You think Arceus will help us? How do you even know if he exists?! How would we even find him?!"  
"I don't know! It was just an idea."  
I turn to Dawn. "Dawn's idea is the best we've got. We'll go through with it."

Suddenly, the helicopter shakes. It's accompanied with the door being torn off. Dawn screams. I grit my teeth and unbuckle myself. Riley looks at me as I walk to the open door, holding a rail above the seats to keep my balance. "Chris, what are you doing?!"  
I turn to him and give him a thumbs up. I nod to Dawn. "I'll distract him."

I look down at the peak of Mount Coronet. "Cyrus, the damage is too severe. You'll have to crash land."  
"It's not like I'll be flying again anytime soon," he answers.

I look down and gulp, ignoring my fear of heights. I jump out of the chopper. I see Charon looking up at me. He's holding a boulder. "You idiot child!"

I let my Aura flow through my entire body. Using Detect, I see a boulder passing by below me. When I fall lower and lower, Charon throws the boulder. I put my arms out and catch it, using my Aura to lessen the impact. Charon gasps. "What?!"  
I put my left arm behind me, using Force Palm. I blast forward, bracing for impact. I see a vision of Charon punching through the rock. When he punches, I grab his arm. He gasps. I strengthen my grip, trying to keep him restrained. In my other hand, I form an Aura Sphere. I throw it behind me. Charon destroys the rock with his other hand. I jump back, grabbing my Aura Sphere and throwing it at him. He sidesteps, dodging. I smirk. Charon stares at me, confused. "Aura Sphere can't miss, dumbass," I remark.

He looks behind him. My Aura Sphere collides with him. While he's stunned, I throw Lucario's pokéball. The two of us run forward and repeatedly punch Charon. His skin is hardened into metal. I take a few steps back. Lucario does the same. Charon smirks. "You can't beat me that easily."

"Isn't Fighting strong against Steel?"

He cackles. "You idiots. Type advantages don't exist in human Aura. However, immunities do. I'll kill Cyrus just as easily as I'll kill you."

Lucario looks at my Key Stone. " _Do it._ "

I grit my teeth. " _You know what happened last time._ "  
" _This time'll be different._ "  
I take a deep breath. "Get ready for the fight of your life, Charon."  
He smirks. "As if a child could stand against me."  
I put two fingers on my Key Stone. Lucario holds his Lucarionite in a tight grip. "Lucario, from the power of our bond as trainer and pokémon, ascend beyond your limits. Lucario, Mega Evolve!"  
Lucario smiles and glows a deep purple. When the light fades, Mega Lucario stands motionless. He opens his eyes, then looks at me. He smiles. I grin. "You did it!"

Charon is watching us with great interest. "Amazing…"  
" _Let's go, Chris,_ " Lucario says.

I nod, grabbing two other pokéballs. " _Now._ "  
I throw them. Eve and Empoleon appear. "Eve, use Misty Terrain, then whatever you please. Empoleon, support us!"  
Charon stomps his foot. A steel wall rises out of the ground. Lucario steps forward. He charges an Aura Sphere in both hands. It grows to an unbelievable size. He throws it at the wall, shattering it. Charon is standing at the altar, placing two Red Chains on it. "I call you forth! Appear before me, the Legendary Pokémon of Space and Time! I summon you, Dialga and Palkia!"  
The chains rise into the air. I hear the chopper crash landing behind me. Everyone gets out and sends out their pokémon. I grab Uxie's pokéball. The three of us throw the Lake Trio's pokéballs. I send out the rest of my pokémon to support us. Riley, Cyrus, and I run towards Charon. He turns around and holds out his hand. A clear barrier appears in front of us. "Break it Lucario."

Lucario punches it several times, but not even a crack appears. " _I can't. It's tougher._ "

Uxie looks at me. " _I can't teleport onto his side. He created a psychic disrupter. It's the reason I couldn't fight back. He's invisible to psychic energy._ "

The Red Chains create two different portals. One is blue and the other is purple. I look at Cyrus. "There are two?"

"We found one in some ruins. Charon created one based on the one we found."

The portal shift into two different shapes. They are eerily familiar. Dialga, the Temporal Pokémon, and Palkia, the Spatial Pokémon, appear before us. They are tangled in the Chains. Charon laughs as they struggle to escape. "Dialga! Palkia! You're finally here! Give me your power! Create a new world!"  
I yell and punch the barrier. Riley joins in, then the Lucario. It shatters. A shockwave blasts around the Legendary Pokémon. Cracks form in the ruins. A vortex of cosmic energy spreads out around us. Uxie, Mesprit, Azelf, and Darkrai look around, panicked. I see the blizzard clearing on the east side of Mount Coronet. I can already tell everyone is looking up at Mount Coronet. I grit my teeth and run forward. Charon lets me. I look at Palkia. "Palkia! Do you remember me?!"

Palkia stares at me. I grit my teeth. "My name is Christopher Lucas Moore! I helped you fight against Dialga in Alamos Town!"

Palkia continues staring at me blankly. I grind my teeth together. "Dawn! Sing Oracion!"  
I look at her. She stares at me. "I don't know it!"  
"That's a lie! I heard you singing it in the cave!"  
She turns red with embarrassment. "Did it sound nice?"  
"Damn it, Dawn! Now's not the time for-"

"Chris!" Barry shouts. "Look at the ground!"  
I turn around. My mouth gapes open as I see it.

[Song: DPPt Distortion World (Reorchestrated) by HappyDragonite]

A tar-like shadow starts forming on the ground below the two Legendary Pokémon. Uxie and Darkrai backs away. " _No…_ " Uxie says.

" _Not him,_ " Darkrai says, frightened.

The shadow, forms into a tall, distorted figure. My Pokédex bleeps. "New Pokédex data collected," it says.

I pick it up. I see a picture of a Legendary Pokémon on the screen. "Giratina, the Renegade Pokémon," I murmur.

The shadowy blob forms into the pokémon on my Pokédex. Giratina looms over us, casting a shadow over everyone. I feel something touching me. I turn around. Uxie's shaking and holding onto me. " _Giratina. Why did it have to be him?_ " she murmurs.


	41. Chapter 41

Chapter 41: The Renegade Pokémon

Charon watches Giratina in awe. He grins. "Giratina! Your power will create a brilliant new world! Join me! Join me and destroy this horrible world!"  
Giratina stares at him. He gives Charon a low growl. Cynthia walks over to us. "This energy. These Pokémon. It's almost impossible to believe."

Giratina creates two Shadow Balls and flings them at Dialga and Palkia. They hit the Chains, destroying them instantly. Palkia blinks a few times, then looks at me. He lands and lowers his head. I pet him. Charon shouts with anguish. "You monster! You've destroyed years of research and planning!"

The cosmic energy vanishes. Charon growls. "Plan B."

I turn to him, shocked. Charon jumps up, using his Aura. He plants a device on Giratina's head. Giratina's eyes start glowing. I gasp. "A mind control device?!"  
Charon stands on Giratina's back. "Precisely. If I can't create my perfect world, I'll destroy this one and remold it into my perfect world!"

He puts his hand on Giratina's neck. "To the Distortion World, my pet!"  
Giratina and Charon form into shadows as Giratina opens a portal. Dialga and Palkia watch as they disappear and the portal closes. Palkia looks at me. I nod. He lowers his head and I climb onto his neck. Cynthia, Roark, and Cyrus look at me like I'm crazy. "Dawn! Barry! Decide who should command Dialga, the other can support us with the Lake Trio and the rest of the pokémon!"

Dawn looks at Barry. "You command Dialga."

Barry shakes his head. "No. You and Chris are good at thinking on the fly. I'll command your pokémon and the Lake Trio!"

I nod. Dawn walks towards Dialga and puts her hand out. Dialga puts his head down. Dawn pats his head. Dialga lowers down and Dawn climbs onto him.

The two Pokémon shout, creating a portal made of shadows. We enter, unprepared for whatever we might find on the other side.

The first thing I see is the crimson sky. Giratina flies around. He looks very different. Instead of six legs, he has multiple wings and a long, winding body. He looks demonic, even Lovecraftian. Giratina stops moving and glares at us. "You dare follow us?" Charon shouts. "You foolish children never seem to learn!"

"We aren't alone!"  
"You might as well be. Dialga and Palkia have no power here!"  
I smirk. "Let's change that! Spacial Rend!"  
Palkia raises his arms and slashes. Giratina braces himself, but the attack opens a rift in space. "Push Giratina through!" Dawn commands.

Dialga flies forward. I look at the others. "Stay here just in case we come back!"  
I pat Palkia and he flies forward. Dialga rams into Giratina, pushing him closer and closer. "Shadow Ball!"  
Giratina blasts dark orbs all around him. "Use Ancient Power to block."

The meteors collide with the orbs, making them explode. Dialga tackles Giratina one last time, sending him through. We follow him to our original world. We're above Twinleaf Town. "Roar of Time!"  
"Spacial Rend!"  
Giratina transforms back into his other forme. I grin as Dialga and Palkia launch their attacks. "Shadow Force!"  
Giratina vanishes, making the two attacks miss. I see Mom running outside. She looks up at us. Barry's mom runs outside too. "Is that-?" she starts.

"Chris!"  
I smile at Mom. "Not now! We'll talk later!"

"Stop ignoring me, child!" Charon yells, reappearing with Giratina. They ram into me and Palkia. I wrap my arms around Palkia, trying to stay on his back. "Dragon Pulse!"  
Palkia fires a blast at Giratina, hitting him. Charon yells as he hangs onto the Legendary Pokémon.

"Go Chris and Dawn!" Mom shouts. "I believe in you!"  
Charon looks down at her. "Shut up woman! Shadow Ball!"  
Giratina fires an orb at Mom. I gasp and surround myself with Aura. I jump off of Palkia and grab the orb. It detonates, launching me to the ground. Mom picks me up. "You've made me proud."

I hug her. "Thank you."

Giratina and Charon go through a portal to the Distortion World. "Go save the world."  
I nod, jumping back to Palkia. "Follow him!"  
I look back at Mom one last time before I return to the crimson of the Distortion World. "Slash!" I command.

"Draco Meteor!" Dawn shouts.

The Legendary Pokémon obey and ready the attacks. Everyone is commanding the other pokémon to attack Charon. Attacks fly through the air blindly as Giratina transforms again. Charon points at us and Giratina obeys, flying at us at high-speed. "Now, Palkia!"  
Palkia slashes at Giratina, hitting him away. Charon gives me a sinister grin as he passes by my face. I growl and create an Aura Sphere. "Create a rift in space, Palkia."  
Palkia obeys, roaring. Another portal appears. "Spacial Rend!"  
Palkia fires the attack at Giratina and I throw the Aura Sphere, locking onto Charon's Aura. Giratina attempts to evade the attack by entering the portal. Palkia follows him. "I'll stay here and wait. Dialga needs to recharge after those attacks," Dawn yells.

I nod and wave as I enter the portal. We exit over Jubilife City. Giratina fires a Dark Pulse at us, hitting Palkia to the ground. People scatter as Palkia lands in the plaza. I'm thrown from his back. Giratina lands behind us. Palkia gets up after a few seconds. I stand myself up and look back at Charon, who is dismounting Giratina. He starts walking over to me. I don't detect any attacks from him. Charon looks into my eyes, grinning. I can almost see into his twisted, psychotic soul. Charon goes for a steel punch, but I sidestep and punch him in the stomach, only to hit solid steel. I back up and hold my hand in pain. "You're easy to predict, Chris."  
I grit my teeth. Giratina and Palkia are watching us along with everyone else in Jubilife City. I see a reporter running towards us, her cameraman filming the Legendary Pokémon. I growl and punch again. Charon hardens his skin, but I grab his face instead. He gasps and I throw him into the ground, boosting him down with a Force Palm. He quickly recovers and gets up. He's livid. As he's standing up, I run back to Palkia. I throw a small Aura Sphere at Charon to slow him down. I feel my stamina running out. I can't take much more of this. I jump onto Palkia's neck and grab on. "Use Slash on Giratina's head!"  
"Shadow Force!"  
Giratina disappears as soon as Palkia's hand gets close. I pat Palkia's head three times. I wait for a sign. I feel the wind stop blowing on my back. "Through the portal, Palkia!"  
Palkia avoids Giratina's signature attack. We enter the portal. "Follow them Giratina! You'll be stronger there!"  
I grin as Giratina flies through the portal. Charon gasps as he looks around. The area around us is showing us the cosmos. Palkia closes the portal to Earth. I grin. "Welcome to the Dimension of Space, where Palkia reigns supreme!"  
Palkia glows a pinkish-red color as his power grows. "Create another portal, Giratina!" Charon commands.

"Stop him Palkia!"

Palkia uses Spacial Rend on Giratina, hitting him at full force. Giratina flies back, stunned. "Chase him and use Dragon Pulse!"  
Palkia flies through his dimension and charges a beam in his mouth. Palkia nears Giratina and fires the attack, point blank. Giratina creates a shadowy portal as soon as the attack hits. He is blasted through along with Charon. "Follow them! Giratina won't be able to handle much more of this!"  
Palkia roars in response and flies through. When we fly through, Dialga fires a dark blue blast at Giratina as he falls. A full-powered Roar of Time hits Giratina point blank. Charon jumps, evading the disastrous effects of Roar of Time; it will greatly accelerate the age of something or even revert the age of something. Either way, no human could survive such an attack. It only deals damage to deities like Dialga, Palkia, and Giratina, though. Palkia nears a floating island. I jump off and start freerunning to reach Charon. Giratina falls into the endless abyss below us. As I stare at Giratina falling, I see the spiraling shades of red. It's hypnotizing. No human should be here in this hell. I land on the island where everyone is and ready for a fight. Charon pants, having nearly escaped death. I growl and grab his lab coat, lifting him into the air. He hardens his fist and punches me, making me let go of him. I nearly fall into the abyss, but just barely catch myself. I jump over Charon, landing near the center of the island. Dawn jumps onto the island, letting Dialga fly to Palkia, to observe the fight. If they interfere, there's no telling what could happen to everyone. I pant, already fatigued from the overuse of my Aura. I grit my teeth, fighting through the pain. "It's over Charon! Your plan failed! Giratina is defeated. You'll go down with him."  
Charon chuckles, then breaks into full on laughter. "If you think I'm done, you haven't learned anything!"  
He hardens his skin and puts up his fist. "Let's start by narrowing out the competition."  
I squint my eyes. "What do you mean?"

He brings his arms up and slams the ground. The whole island shakes, throwing everyone off-balance. He runs forward and punches at me. Dawn throws me to the ground. I watch in horror as Charon punches her. She is thrown from the island. I scramble over to the edge. She screams and reaches out for me. I reach down, but her hand misses mine. I watch helplessly as she disappears beneath the clouds of the abyss.


	42. Chapter 42

Chapter 42: Fury

[Song: O Fortuna]

I feel tears leave my eyes and I yell in anguish. Charon laughs at me as I glare at him. I stand up and punch at him. He doesn't even flinch when I hit him. I keep punching him. "When will you ever learn?"

He punches me, throwing me back towards Barry. He helps me up. I yell and run at him. I form an Aura Sphere in my hand and throw it at him, point blank. He doesn't even move. "I'll kill you!" I shout.

"When will you learn that I'm better than you in every single way?!"  
He grabs my shirt with his left hand and punches me in the face with his right. I fall on my back, holding my face. My nose is broken and bleeding like hell. He walks over to me and puts his foot on my chest. He presses down. Riley runs over and punches Charon. He elbows Riley, knocking him back into a rock. I growl. "You killed her!"  
"She was just in the way. For both me and you."  
I yell and grab his leg. He stomps down on me. I yell in pain. "She was weak and had absolutely no value to anyone!"  
I scream and punch him frantically. He kicks me, rolling me towards the edge to the island. "Now, go join her in that pit of uselessness."

I growl and stand up. I turn back to him. "She's not worthless. Not to me. She was everything to me!"  
I run at him, but he punches me in the gut. "Ah, young love. The true evil of the world. She probably didn't even know anything about you. You were both just foolish children pretending to be adults!"  
I feel my eye start twitching. I feel something snap within me. I feel a surplus of Aura unleash within me. I yell as my Aura grows in power. "It appears I've struck a nerve," he says grinning.

I turn to him. He gasps. "Those eyes…"  
I feel a mix of blood and tears dripping down my face. Charon backs up. "What are you?…" he asks, shaking in pure terror.  
I growl and jump at him. He gasps and hardens his skin. I punch. He grunts in pain and flies back, rolling into a rock. His arms are bleeding where I hit him. "I-impossible!" he shouts.  
I grin. "Seems you aren't as powerful as you thought."  
"You just got a lucky hit in!"  
He runs at me, going for a punch. I punch him in the stomach. He gasps and freezes. I feel his blood on my skin. He coughs up blood and spit. I pull my arm back and he drops to his knees, cowering. I grin sadistically. "Can you feel it? My… animosity?"  
I kick him in the face, knocking him back even more. He grunts as he stands up. Charon pants, trying to cope with the pain. I grab him with my left hand. "You think you can control the world as you see fit! That was your first mistake because I'll _always_ be there to protect it!"

Charon grits his teeth. I knee him in the groin. He gasps in pain. "Die!"  
I bring my right hand back, charging a blast of Aura. I thrust my arm into his face. The blast of Aura tears his skin open. His screams echo throughout the Distortion World. It isn't until nothing remains of his body that his screams fade away. I drop to my knees and pant, calming down. My Aura settles as I relax. I stand back up and start walking back to the group. Eve runs over to me, smiling. She knocks me to the ground and start nuzzling me. " _Did you do it?_ "

I nod. " _I did it. It's over._ "

[Song End]

I get a chill. I frown. "I killed him… without hesitation."  
I push Eve off of me and scoot to the edge of the island. I stare off into the crimson of the Distortion World. I feel tears on my cheek. I wipe my face with my hand. I look at it. My hand is wet with a mix of blood and tears. I look down and my heart almost stops. Giratina is flying straight at me. I scream and run back. Barry is starting to giggle, but Giratina rising above us shuts him up. Dialga and Palkia rush in front of us, protecting us. Giratina roars and growls. I look at him. I gasp. The device on his head is rusted and corroded. "Roar of Time… it destroyed the device."  
I walk towards Giratina, walking to the middle of the trio of deities. I look up at Giratina and raise my hand. I smile. Giratina lowers his head and I stroke the side of his head. Giratina backs up and flies around, nearing the ground. A figure jumps off of his back. I gasp and run towards her. Dawn runs to me and embraces me. I cry as she puts her arms around me. "I thought you were dead…"  
"I thought so too. What about Charon?"  
"I… killed him…"  
Dawn tightens her hold on me, attempting to comfort me. "It's okay. You did what you had to do."

Cyrus walks over to us. "You two might want to get away from the edge."  
I look down. We're inches from certain death. We stop hugging each other and hold each other's hand as we walk. Palkia and Dialga look down at us. Giratina spirals around the island and everything around us changes into shadows. I close my eyes, afraid. I feel wind blow on me. I open my eyes. I see the clouds above me, accompanied with the roars of the Legendary Pokémon. Uxie, Mesprit, and Azelf fly to the three of us. " _Chris,_ " Uxie says. " _I'm sorry I didn't help much, but you won! You… don't want me with you anymore, don't you?_ "  
I shake my head. "Of course I want you with me. You're my friend and a strong pokémon to boot."

She blushes. " _I think Darkrai may be a bit stronger…_ " she murmurs.

I chuckle and pat her head. She smiles. " _That's great!_ " she says excitedly. " _I'll be with you till the end!_ "  
Dawn says the same to Mesprit, and Barry does the same. Uxie flies around me happily. I return all of my pokémon except for Eve, Darkrai, and Lucario. I pet Eve and she wraps her feelers around my arm. "Thank you for coming all this way, Eve."

" _It's nothing. Now remember your promise to me! You've got to take me to Kalos._ "  
I nod and turn to Lucario. He puts out his hand. I shake his hand. Our Aura merges at our palms. We don't exchange words. Darkrai floats in front of me and nods. He doesn't need to speak to show his gratitude. We all helped each other, but one thing is for certain. We did so out of the kindness of our hearts. I smile and turn to Palkia. "Thank you for everything."  
Palkia roars in response. "If I could ask you for one more thing, I'll let you take your leave."

A few minutes later, Dawn, Barry, Roark, and I land in Twinleaf Town. Dialga and Palkia land in the center of town. I see Mom and Professor Rowan. Rowan is shocked at the sight of the Legendary Pokémon. Dawn and I slide down Palkia's back. Barry and Roark carefully climb down Dialga's leg. Uxie floats down next to me, followed by Mesprit. Eve comes out of her pokéball, followed by Lucario. Buizel and Gardevoir pop out of their pokéballs as well. Rowan walks forward. "Are they…?"  
I nod. "Of course. Behold, Dialga and Palkia. The deities of time and space!"  
Palkia roars, followed by Dialga. Uxie gasps and looks at me. " _They say that they have to leave now, Chris._ "

I nod and turn to Palkia. "Thank you for everything, both of you."  
Palkia bows his head, then roars. Energy expels from his mouth. A sphere of light floats down to me. I put my arms out. Dialga does the same, except for Dawn. The pink light fades, leaving an instrument, a flute. It's a redish-pink color and a pearl is added for decoration near the mouthpiece. The blue light fades in front of Dawn, leaving another flute. It's royal blue and a diamond is placed in the same spot the pearl is on mine. The two pokémon roar. " _They are called the Spatial and Temporal Flutes,_ " Uxie translates. " _They will call the creator to you in times of need._ "  
I bow to Palkia. "I can't thank you enough for this gift, Palkia."  
Dawn curtsies. "I have to say the same, Dialga."  
The two respond with nothing and fly away. Two portals open and the two pokémon fly through them. I stand up and turn back to Professor Rowan. I smile. "It's finished." I look away, ashamed. "I… had to kill Charon. It… feels terrible. There had to be another way."  
Dawn puts her hand on my shoulder. "There wasn't. Charon was insane. He would've been killed anyway. He probably wouldn't have let himself be taken alive."  
Rowan smiles. "You three have made me proud. The chosen three by Arceus himself. It's unimaginable, but I suppose it's just reality."  
I chuckle. Barry steps forward. "We still need to face the gyms!"

Dawn groans. "I'm out. I only did it to train. I wanted to be a Pokémon Coordinator."  
I smile. "I'll take on the Pokémon League, but I'm going to become an Aura Guardian."

I hear a car arriving from the route entrance. Looker gets out and runs to us. "You four!" he shouts.

"Looker," Barry says.

Looker stops in front of us. "I heard everything from Cynthia. You did it. The Legendary Pokémon, the Distortion World, everything!"  
I nod. "Yeah?"  
"I want to offer you three a job for the International Police," he blurts out.

I gasp. "R-really?!" I ask, bewildered.

Barry's face says it all. He steps forward. "I accept!"  
Dawn looks at me and smiles. We both turn to Looker and nod. "We accept."  
Looker smiles. "I'll give you three your things in a little while. I'll need to inform HQ of this. I'll be back for the Pokémon League next year. How about then?"  
"Next year?"

He nods. "It was cancelled this year by Cynthia due to our troubles with Team Galactic."  
Dawn thinks. "What's going to happen to Team Galactic anyway?"  
Looker nods. "I asked Cyrus. He said they are going to become a public organization. They will work for the benefit of both humans and pokémon. New uniforms, new members, and a new HQ in Jubilife City. Cynthia agreed to fund it as an apology."  
I smile. "That's not that far from here," Mom says. "I'm retired from contests, but I suppose I can join Team Galactic. Wait. What about those people he killed?"  
I chuckle. "Saturn assured me that they aren't dead. Team Miror went back to the Orre Region and Mars was in hiding until Charon was dealt with. She's probably going to join back up and help Cyrus."

Mom smiles. "At least I'll have a great boss."  
Roark walks over to Mom. Mom smiles, grabbing his hands. "I'm proud of all of you," she says.

Roark smiles back. I groan. "Please don't kiss…"  
Roark chuckles. "It's not like you haven't kissed Dawn around us all the time."

Dawn and I blush. Mom kisses Roark on the cheek. "I'll see you later," he says.

Rowan and Roark start walking away, waving as they leave. Barry sighs and waves to me, walking back home. Azelf follows him. Mom walks to the door of our house. "Well, are you going to come on in?" she asks us.

Dawn and I smile and walk inside. "So what do you want to eat?" Mom asks.

"Anything," we say in unison.


End file.
